I!    I  mi 


l!i!!lil!;l 


m 


mm 


"ill! 

1! 
■11,(111 


Ex  Libris 
C.  K.  OGDEN 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


'<.  .  *- T**^i 


Sz    ^\ 


5>J' 


.    i 


v^ 


V 


'y 


BISMARCK 

SOME  SECRET  PAGES  OF  HIS  HISTORY 


y 


BISMARCK 


SOME  SECRET  PAGES  OF  HIS  HISTORY 


being  a  diary  kept  by 

Dr.    MORITZ    BUSCH 

during  twenty-five  years'  official  and  private 
intercourse  with  the  great  chancellor 


IN   THREE    VOLUMES 
VOL.    I 


iLontion 
MACMILLAN    AND    CO,  Limited 

NEW  YORK  :  THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 
1898 

All  rights  reserved 


Richard  Clat  and  Sons,  Limited, 
london  and  bdngat. 

Copyright  in  the  United  States  of  A7ne.riea. 


V.    I 


NOTE 

The  English  edition  of  Dr.  Busch's  work  which  we 
publish  to-day  has  been  translated  from  the  original 
German  text  in  the  possession  of  the  publishers.  A 
few  passages  have,  however,  been  omitted  as  de- 
famatory, or  otherwise  unsuitable  for  publication.  Dr. 
Busch  contemplated  incorporating  bodily  in  the  first 
volume  a  reproduction  of  his  earlier  work  :  Prince 
Bismarck  and  his  People  during  the  Franco-German 
War;  but  while  the  many  valuable  additions  which 
he  made  to  it  have  been  preserved,  such  portions  as 
would  no  longer  have  presented  any  special  interest 
for  English  readers  have  been  considerably  abridged. 


89-^ '^-^6 


PREFACE 

The  work  which  I  now  present  to  the  German 
people  contains  a  complete  ^  account  of  all  the  events  of 
which  I  was  a  witness  during  my  intercourse  of  over 
twenty  years  with  Prince  Bismarck  and  his  entourage. 
Part  of  it  is  not  entirely  new,  as  I  have  embodied  in  it 
portions  of  the  book  published  by  me  in  1878,  under 
the  title  :  Prince  Bismarck  and  his  People  during  the 
Franco-German  War,  I  have,  however,  restored  the 
numerous  passages  which  it  was  then  deemed  expedient 
to  omit,  and  I  have  also  dispensed  with  the  many 
modifications  by  which,  at  that  time,  certain  asperities 
of  language  had  to  be  toned  down.  The  bulk  of  the 
present  work  consists  of  a  detailed  narrative  of  the 
whole  period  of  my  intercourse  with  the  Prince  both 
before  and  after  the  French  campaign.  I  collected  and 
noted  down  all  these  particulars  respecting  Prince 
Bismarck  and  his  immediate  supporters  and  assistants, 
in  the  first  place  for  my  own  use,  and  secondly  as  a 
contribution  to  the  character  and  history  of  the 
Political  Regenerator  of  Germany.     The  sole  object  of 

1  Strictly  speaking,  almost  complete,  as  some  passages  must  still  be 
omittel  for  the  present. 


viii  PREFACE 

the  diary  which  forms  the  basis  of  this  work  was  to 
serve  as  a  record  of  the  whole  truth  so  far  as  I  had 
been  able  to  ascertain  it  with  my  own  eyes  and  ears. 
Any  other  object  was  out  of  the  question,  as  it  was 
impossible  that  I  could  desire  to  deceive  myself. 
Subsequently,  when  I  thought  of  publishing  my  notes, 
I  was  fully  conscious  of  my  responsibility  towards 
history,  the  interests  of  which  could  not  be  promoted 
by  material  that  had  been  coloured  or  garbled  for  party 
purposes.  I  wished  neither  to  be  an  eulogist  nor  a  censor. 
To  my  mind,  panegyric  was  superfluous,  and  fault- 
finding was  for  me  an  impossibility.  A  tendency  to 
the  sensational  is  foreign  to  my  nature,  and  I  leave  the 
pleasure  to  be  derived  from  grand  spectacular  shows  to 
lovers  of  the  theatre.  I  desired  to  record  the  mental 
and  other  characteristics  which  our  first  Chancellor  pre- 
sented to  me  under  such  and  such  circumstances,  thus 
helping  to  complete,  and  at  times  to  rectify,  the  concep- 
tion of  his  whole  nature  that  has  been  formed  in  the 
public  mind  from  his  political  activity.  The  profound 
reverence  which  I  feel  for  the  genius  of  the  hero,  and 
my  patriotic  gratitude  for  his  achievements,  have  not 
deterred  me  from  communicating  numerous  details 
which  will  be  displeasing  to  many  persons.  These  par- 
ticulars, however,  are  part  of  the  historic  character  of 
the  personality  whom  I  am  describing.  The  gods  alone 
are  free  from  error,  passion,  and  changes  of  disposition. 
They  alone  have  no  seamy  side  and  no  contradictions. 
Even  the  sun  and  moon  show  spots  and  blemishes,  but 
notwithstanding  these  they  remain  magnificent  cejestial 


PREFACE 


orbs.     The  picture  produced  out  of  the  materials  which 
I  have  here  brought  together  may  present  harsh  and 
rough  features,  but  it  has  hardly  a  single  ignoble  trait. 
Its  crudeness    only  adds   to    its  truth    to  nature,   its 
individuality,  and  its  clearness  of  outline.     This  figure 
does  not  float  in  an  ethereal   atmosphere,  it  is  firmly 
rooted  in  earth  and  breathes  of  real  life,  yet  it  conveys 
a  sense  of   something  superhuman.     It  must  further- 
more be  remembered  that  many  of  the  bitter  remarks, 
such  as  those  made  previous  to  March,  1890,  were  the 
result  of  temporary  irritation,  while  others  were  per- 
fectly justified.     The  strong  self-confidence  manifested 
in  some  of  these  utterances,  and  the  angry  expression 
of  that  need  for  greater  power  and   more  liberty    of 
action,  common   to   all   men   of    genius  and    energetic 
character,  arose  from  the  consciousness  that,  while  he 
alone    knew  the  true  object    to   be   pursued  and    the 
fitting  means  for  its  achievement,  his  knowledge  could 
not  be  applied  because  the  right  of  final  decision  on  all 
occasions  belonged  by  hereditary  privilege  to  more  or 
less  mediocre  and  narrow  minds. 

I  will  allow  the  Prince  himself  to  answer  the 
question  as  to  my  authority  for  communicating  to 
others  without  any  reserve  all  that  I  ascertained  during 
my  intercourse  with  him.  "  Once  I  am  dead  you  can 
tell  everything  you  like,  absolutely  everything  you 
know,"  said  Prince  Bismarck  to  me  in  the  course  of  a 
conversation  I  had  with  him  on  the  24th  of  February, 
1879.  I  saw  clearly  in  the  way  in  which  he  looked  at 
me  that,  in  addition  to  the  permission   I  had  already 


X  PREFACE 

received  on  previous  occasions,  he  wished  that  I  should 
then  consider  myself  entirely  free  and  expressly  released 
from  certain  former  engagements,  some  of  which  had 
been  assumed  by  myself,  while  others  had  been  imposed 
upon  me.  Since  then  my  knowledge  increased  owing 
to  his  growing  confidence  in  me,  while  his  authorisation 
and  the  desire  that  I  should  use  what  I  knew  to  the 
advantage  of  his  memory  remained  undiminished.  On 
the  21st  of  March,  1891,  during  one  of  my  last  visits  to 
Friedrichsruh,  the  Prince — apparently  prompted  by  a 
notice  which  he  had  read  in  the  newspapers — remarked, 
"  Little  Busch  (Biischlein)  will  one  day,  long  after  my 
death,  write  the  secret  history  of  our  time  from  the 
best  sources  of  information."  I  answered  "  Yes,  Prince  ; 
but  it  will  not  be  a  history,  properly  speaking,  as  I  am 
not  capable  of  that.  Nor  will  it  be  long  after  your 
death — which  we  naturally  pray  to  be  deferred  as  long 
as  possible — but  on  the  contrary  very  soon  after, 
without  any  delay.  In  these  corrupt  times,  the  truth 
cannot  be  known  too  soon."  The  Prince  made  no 
answer,  but  I  understood  his  silence  to  indicate 
approval.  Finally,  in  the  preceding  year  he  had 
affirmed  the  absolutely  unrestricted  character  of  my 
authority.  On  the  15th  of  March,  1890,  when  the 
measures  for  his  dismissal  were  already  in  progress,  and 
he  himself  was  engaged  in  packing  up  a  variety  of 
papers  preparatory  to  his  journey  (a  work  in  which  I 
was  allowed  to  assist  him),  he  asked  me  to  copy  a  number 
of  important  documents  for  him  and  to  retain  the 
originals  and  copies  in  my  possession.  On  his  remarking 


PREFACE  XI 

that  I  could  get  these  documents  copied,  I  called  his 
attention  to  the  fact  that  a  stranger  might  betray  their 
contents  to  third  parties.  He  replied,  "  Oh,  I  am  not 
afraid  of  that !  He  can  if  he  likes  !  I  have  no  secrets 
amongst  them — absolutely  none."  That  statement,  "  I 
have  no  secrets,"  gave  me  liberty,  at  least  for  a  later 
time,  to  publish  those  State  papers  the  contents  of 
which  I  had  hitherto  kept  secret,  as  he  must  unques- 
tionably have  known  better  than  I  or  the  rest  of  the 
world  who  may  have  held  other  views  on  the  subject. 

So  far  respecting  the  essential  point.  That  he 
whom  I  honour  as  the  first  of  men  sanctioned  my 
undertaking  is  entirely  sufficient  for  me.  I  do  not  ask 
whether  others  give  it  their  blessing.  The  great 
majority  of  those  referred  to  have  since  departed  from 
this  life  and  taken  their  places  in  the  domain  of  history, 
where  the  claim  for  indulgent  treatment  is  no  longer 
valid.  Those  who  are  still  with  us  may  believe  me 
when  I  assure  them  that  in  now  publishing  these  pages 
I  have  no  thought  of  causing  them  pain  or  of  injuring 
them  in  any  way.  I  simply  consider  that  I  am  not  at 
liberty  to  preserve  silence  on  those  matters  which  may 
prove  unpleasant  to  them  in  view  both  of  my  own 
duty  to  tell  the  whole  truth,  and  of  the  desire  expressed 
by  the  Chancellor  (to  whom  I  still  feel  myself  bound  in 
obedience)  that  nothing  should  be  concealed.  The 
diplomatic  world,  in  particular,  must  be  represented 
here  as  it  really  is.  In  that  respect  this  book  may  be 
described  as  a  mirror  for  diplomatists. 

I  must  leave  the  reader  to  form  his  own  opinion  as 


xii  PREFACE 

to  my  capacity  for  observation  and  the  discovery  of  the 
truth.  I  may,  however,  be  allowed  to  say  that  several 
long  journeys  in  America  and  the  East,  a  lengthy  tour 
in  Schleswig-Holstein  during  the  Danish  rule,  under- 
taken for  the  purpose  of  reconnoitring  that  country, 
and  a  period  of  rather  confidential  intercourse  with  the 
Augustenburg  Court  at  Kiel  were  calculated  to  sharpen 
my  wits.  A  mission  which  I  filled  at  Hanover  during 
the  year  of  transition,  and,  above  all,  my  position  in 
the  Foreign  Office  in  Berlin  and  the  intimate  relations 
in  which  I  stood  towards  its  Chief  during  the  war  with 
France,  together  with  the  renewal  of  that  intercourse 
from  1877  onwards,  gave  me  exceptional  opportunities 
of  developing  both  my  memory  and  power  of  obser- 
vation. For  several  years  1  was  acquainted  with 
everything  that  went  on  in  the  Central  Bureau  of  the 
German  Foreign  Office,  and  later,  in  addition  to  what  I 
ascertained  through  the  confidence  of  the  Prince,  I 
obtained  not  a  little  information  from  Lothar  Bucher 
which  remained  a  secret,  not  only  for  private  persons, 
but  often  for  high  officials  of  the  Ministry. 

The  diary  on  which  my  work  is  based,  and  which 
is  often  reproduced  literally,  gives  the  truest  possible 
account  of  the  events  and  expressions  which  I  have 
personally  seen  and  heard  in  the  presence  and  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  Prince.  The  latter  is  everywhere  the 
leading  figure  around  which  all  the  others  are  grouped. 
The  task  I  set  myself,  as  a  close  observer  and  chronicler 
who  conscientiously  sifted  his  facts,  was  to  give  a  true 
account  of  what  I  had  been  commissioned  to  do  as  the 


PREFACE  xiii 

Prince's  Secretary  in  connection  with  press  matters, 
and  to  describe  how  he  and  his  entourage  conducted 
themselves  during  the  campaign  in  France,  how  he 
lived  and  worked,  the  opinions  he  expressed  at  the 
dinner  and  tea  table,  and  on  other  occasions,  respecting 
persons  and  things  of  that  time,  what  he  related  of  his 
past  experiences,  and  finally,  after  our  return  from  the 
great  war,  what  I  ascertained  respecting  the  progress  of 
diplomatic  negotiations  from  the  despatches  which  were 
then  exchanged  and  of  which  I  was  at  liberty  to  make 
use  either  immediately  or  at  a  later  period.  I  was 
assisted  in  the  fulfilment  of  this  task  by  my  faculty  of 
concentration,  which  my  reverence  for  the  Prince  and 
the  practice  which  I  had  in  the  course  of  my  official 
duties  rendered  gradually  more  intense,  and  by  a 
memory  which  although  not  naturally  above  the  average 
was  also  developed  by  constant  exercise  to  such  a 
degree  that  in  a  short  time  it  enabled  me  to  retain  all 
the  main  points  of  long  explanations  and  stories,  both 
serious  and  humorous,  from  the  Chancellor's  lips 
almost  literally,  until  such  time  as  I  could  commit 
them  to  paper — that  is  to  say,  unless  anything  special 
intervened,  a  mishap  which  I  was  usually  able  to  avert. 
The  particulars  here  given  were  accordingly,  almost 
without  exception,  written  down  within  an  hour  after 
the  conversations  therein  referred  to  occurred.  For 
the  most  part  they  were  jotted  down  immediately  on 
small  slips  of  paper,  only  the  points  and  principal 
catchwords  being  noted,  but  which  made  it  easy,  how- 
ever, to  complete  the  whole  entry  later  on. 


xiv  PREFACE 

This  sharp  ear  and  faithful  memory,  joined  with  a 
quick  eye,  stood  me  in  good  stead  in  the  years  of 
welcome  service  Avhich  I  undertook  as  a  private  indi- 
vidual for  the  Prince.  To  these  and  to  the  habit  of 
putting  all  that  I  had  experienced,  seen,  and  heard  in 
black  on  white  without  delay,  I  owe  the  accurate 
accounts  of  the  memorable  conversation  of  the  11th  of 
April,  1877,  of  the  visit  to  Varzin  and  the  statements 
made  by  the  Chancellor  on  that  occasion,  as  well  as  the 
long  list  of  detailed  reports  of  pregnant  and  charac- 
teristic conversations  that  I  had  with  him  from  the 
year  1878  up  to  1890  in  the  palace  and  garden  at 
Berlin  when,  at  times  of  crisis  or  under  other  circum- 
stances, I  was  either  invited  by  the  Prince  or  called 
on  him  without  invitation  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
news  for  the  Grenzhoten  or  foreign  newspapers.  I  kept 
up  the  same  habit  of  committing  everything  of  moment 
to  paper  during  my  various  visits  of  shorter  or  longer 
duration  between  the  years  1883  and  1889  to  Fried- 
richsruh,  where  in  the  year  last  mentioned  I  was 
engaged  for  several  weeks  in  arranging  the  Prince's 
private  letters  and  other  documents.  This  custom  also 
served  me  well  in  that  ever  memorable  week  in  March, 
1890,  when  I  spent  some  of  the  darkest  days  of  that 
period  in  the  Prince's  immediate  vicinity,  nor  did  it 
fail  me  when  I  again  greeted  him  in  the  Sachsenwald  in 
1891  and  1893,  and  was  able  to  convince  myself  that 
in  the  interval  his  confidence  in  me  had  as  little 
diminished  as  had  my  loyalty  towards  him. 

Whoever  is  familiar  with  the  style  in  which   the 


PREFACE  XV 

Prince  was  accustomed  to  express  his  thoughts  when  in 
the  company  of  his  intimate  associates  will  be  at  once 
impressed  with  the  genuineness  of  the  instructions, 
conversations  and  anecdotes  communicated  in  the 
following  pages.  He  will  find  them  almost  without 
exception  literally  reproduced.  In  the  anecdotes  and 
stories,  in  particular,  he  will  nearly  always  observe  the 
characteristic  ellipses,  the  unexpressed  pre-suppositions, 
and  the  manner  in  which  the  Prince  was  apt  to  jump 
from  point  to  point  in  his  narratives,  reminding  one  of 
the  style  of  the  old  ballads.  He  will  also  at  times  note 
a  humorous  vein  running  through  the  Prince's  remarks 
and  frequently  become  conscious  of  a  thread  of  semi- 
naive  self-irony.  All  these  features  were  characteristic 
of  the  Chancellor's  manner  of  speaking.  It  is  therefore 
hardly  necessary  for  me  to  add  that  my  reports,  with 
all  their  roughness  and  sturdy  ruggedness,  are  photo- 
graphs that  have  not  been  retouched.  In  other  words, 
I  believe  that  I  have  not  only  been  quick  to  observe, 
but  I  also  feel  that  I  have  not  intentionally  omitted 
anything  that  was  worth  reproducing.  I  have  neither 
blurred  any  features  nor  brought  others  into  too  sharp 
relief.  I  have  put  in  no  high  lights,  and  above  all  I 
have  added  nothing  of  my  own,  nor  tried  to  secure  a 
place  in  history  for  my  own  wisdom  by  palming  it  off 
as  Bismarck's.  Any  omissions  that  now  remain  (there 
can  hardly  be  more  than  a  dozen  in  all  of  any  im- 
portance) are  indicated  by  dots  or  dashes.  In  cases 
where  I  have  not  quite  understood  a  speaker,  attention 
is  called  to  the  fact.     Should  any  contradiction  be  dis- 


xvi  PREFACE 

covered  between  earlier  and  later  statements  m/y 
memory  must  not  be  held  responsible  for  them.  If  I 
am  blamed  for  the  fragmentary  character  of  my  recital 
then  all  memoirs  must  be  rejected.  If  I  am  reproached 
with  not  having  produced  a  work  of  art,  I  believe  I  have 
already  made  it  sufficiently  clear  that  I  never  intended 
anything  of  the  kind.  I  desired,  on  the  contrary,  so  far 
as  it  was  in  my  power,  to  serve  the  truth,  and  that 
alone.  Nevertheless,  my  work  may  not  only  be  utilised 
by  historians,  but  may  also  possibly  inspire  a  dramatist 
or  a  poet.  Such  a  writer  must,  however,  be  no  senti- 
mentalist, and  no  idealist.  It  would  be  wise  for  him 
and  for  others  to  let  themselves  be  guided  by  some 
counsels  of  experience  which  will  be  useful  as  a  warning 
against  certain  misunderstandings  both  as  to  the  sources 
of  my  information  and  the  degree  of  my  credulity. 
These  counsels  have  always  been  present  to  my  mind, 
although,  perhaps,  through  a  sense  of  politeness  towards 
the  public,  or  even,  it  may  be,  a  real  confidence  in  their 
common  sense,  I  have  rarely  thought  it  necessary  to  call 
attention  to  the  fact.  This  advice  I  propose  to  repeat 
here  in  a  general  form  and  without  any  special  applica- 
tion. In  the  first  place,  then,  there  are  people  who 
sometimes  really  believe  that  they  have  actually  said  or 
done  that  which  it  was  their  duty  to  say  or  do  in  certain 
circumstances.  Others,  again,  frequently  leave  their 
hearers  to  judge  whether  their  remarks  are  meant  to  be 
sarcastic  or  serious.  Furthermore,  inter  jpocula  and  in 
foraging  for  news,  the  meanings  of  words  must  not  be 
taken  in  altogether  too  literal  a  sense,  if  one  does  not 


PREFACE  xvii 

wish  to  make  a  fool  of  himself  Although  truth  may 
be  found  in  the  bowl,  it  usually  contains  more  alcohol 
than  accuracy  ;  and  the  scribblers  of  the  press  very 
often  thoughtlessly  accept  appearances  for  realities 
when  they  come  from  "  well-informed  circles."  Finally, 
even  those  who  wilfully  mislead  serve  the  truth  in 
so  far  as  they  enable  the  experienced  to  detect  their 
falsehood. 

A  good  deal  of  what  I  report  and  describe  will 
appear  to  many  persons  trivial  and  external.  My  view 
of  the  matter,  however,  is  this.  The  trifles  with  which 
the  praetor  does  not  trouble  himself  often  illustrate  the 
character  of  a  man  or  his  temper  for  the  time  being 
more  clearly  than  fine  speeches  or  great  exploits.  Now 
and  then  very  unimportant  occurrences  and  situations 
have  been,  as  it  were,  the  spark  which  lit  up  the  mind 
and  revealed  a  whole  train  of  new  and  fruitful  ideas 
pregnant  with  great  consequences.  In  this  connection 
I  may  recall  the  accidental,  and  apparently  insignificant, 
origin  of  many  epoch-making  inventions  and  dis- 
coveries, such  as  the  fall  of  an  apple  from  a  tree  that 
gave  Newton  the  first  impulse  towards  his  theory  of 
gravitation,  the  greatest  discovery  of  the  eighteenth 
century;  the  steam  from  the  boiling  kettle  which  raised 
its  lid  and  ultimately  led  to  the  transformation  of  the 
world  by  the  locomotive  ;  the  brilliant  reflection  of  the 
sun  on  a  tin  vessel  which  transported  Jacob  Boehme 
into  a  transcendental  vision ;  and  the  spot  of  grease 
upon  our  table-cloth  at  Ferrieres  which  formed  the 
VOL.   I  h 


xviii  PREFACE 

starting-point  of  one  of  Prince  Bismarck's  most  re- 
markable conversations.  The  morning  hours  affect 
nervous  constitutions  differently  to  the  evening,  and 
changes  of  weather  depress  or  raise  the  spirits  of 
persons  subject  to  rheumatism.  Indeed  it  must  be 
remembered  that  learned  theories  have  been  formed 
which,  expressed  in  a  plain  and  direct  way,  amount 
roughly  to  this — that  a  man  is  what  he  eats.  However 
odd  that  may  sound,  we  really  cannot  say  how  far  such 
ideas  are  wrong.  Finally,  it  appears  to  me  that  every- 
thing is  of  interest  and  should  receive  attention  which 
has  any  relation  to  the  prominent  central  figure  of  the 
great  movement  which  resulted  in  the  political  re- 
generation of  our  country — to  that  powerful  personality 
who,  like  the  angel  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures,  stirred 
the  stagnant  pool,  and  gave  health  and  life  after  the 
lethargy  and  decay  of  centuries.  I  followed  the 
Chancellor's  career  with  the  eyes  of  a  future  generation. 
At  great  epochs  trifles  appear  smaller  than  they  actually 
are.  In  later  decades  and  centuries  the  contrary  is  the 
case.  The  great  events  of  the  past  bulk  still  larger  in 
men's  minds,  while  things  which  were  regarded  as  un- 
important become  full  of  significance.  It  is  then  often 
a  matter  for  regret  that  it  is  impossible  to  form  as  clear 
and  lifelike  a  picture  of  a  personality  or  an  event  as 
one  could  wish  for  want  of  valuable  material  originally 
cast  aside  as  of  no  account.  There  was  no  eye  to  see 
and  no  hand  to  collect  and  preserve  those  materials 
while  it  was  yet  time.     Who  would  not  now  be  glad  to 


PREFACE  xix 

have  fuller  details  respecting  Luther  in  the  great  days 
and  hours  of  his  life  ? 

In  a  hundred  years  the  memory  of  Prince  Bismarck 
will  take  a  place  in  the  minds  of  our  people  next  to 
that  occupied  by  the  Wittenberg  doctor.  The  liberator 
of  our  political  life  from  dependence  upon  foreigners 
will  stand  by  the  side  of  the  reformer  who  freed  our 
consciences  from  the  oppression  of  Eome — the  founder 
of  the  German  State  by  the  side  of  him  who  created 
German  Christianity.  Our  Chancellor  already  holds 
this  place  in  the  hearts  of  many  of  his  countrymen ; 
his  portrait  adorns  their  walls,  and  they  inspire  the 
growing  generation  with  the  reverence  which  they 
themselves  feel.  These  will  be  followed  by  the  masses, 
and  therefore  I  imagine  I  may  safely  take  the  risk  of 
being  told  that  I  have  preserved,  not  only  the  pearls, 
but  also  the  shells  in  which  they  were  found. 

Many  of  the  Chancellor's  expressions  respecting  the 
French  may  be  regarded  as  unfair  and  even  occasionally 
inhuman.  It  must  not  be  forgotten,  however,  that 
ordinary  warfare  is  calculated  to  harden  the  feelings, 
and  that  Gambetta's  suicidal  campaign,  conducted  with 
all  the  passionate  ardour  of  his  nature,  the  treacherous 
tactics  of  his  franctireurs,  and  the  bestiality  of  his 
Turkos,  was  bound  to  raise  a  spirit  in  our  camp  in  which 
leniency  and  consideration  could  have  no  part.  Of 
course,  in  reproducing  and  in  adding  other  and  still 
more  bitter  instances  of  this  feeling,  now  that  all  these 
things  have  long  ago  passed  away,  there  can  be  no 
intention  to  hurt  any  one's  feelings.     They  are  merely 


XX  PREFACE 

vivid  contributions  to  the  history  of  the  campaign, 
denoting  the  momentary  temper  of  the  Chancellor,  who 
was  at  that  time  sorely  tried  and  deeply  wounded  by 
these  and  other  incidents. 

I  trust  my  reasons  for  including  a  number  of  news- 
paper articles  will  commend  themselves  to  the  reader 
I  do  so  in  the  first  place  to  show  the  gradual  develop 
ment  and  change  which  certain  political  ideas  under- 
went, and  the  forms  which  they  assumed  at  various 
times.  Furthermore  the  greater  part  of  them  were 
directly  inspired  by  Prince  Bismarck,  and  some  were 
even  dictated  by  him.  By  mentioning  the  latter  articles 
I  hope  to  do  the  newspapers  in  question  a  pleasure  in 
so  far  as  they  will  now  learn  that  they  once  had  the 
honour  of  having  the  most  eminent  statesman  of  the 
century  as  a  contributor.  All  these  articles  furnish 
material  for  forming  an  opinion  upon  the  journalistic 
activity  of  the  Prince,  which  hitherto  only  Wagener  of 
the  Kreuzzeitung ,  Zitelman,  the  Prince's  amanuensis 
during  the  years  he  spent  as  Ambassador  at  Frankfurt, 
and  Lothar  Bucher  were  in  a  position  to  do.  On  the 
22nd  of  January,  1871,  the  Chancellor  himself  remarked, 
referring  to  the  importance  of  the  press  for  historians  : 
"  One  learns  more  from  the  newspapers  than  from 
official  despatches,  as,  of  course.  Governments  use  the 
press  in  order  frequently  to  say  more  clearly  what  they 
really  mean.  One  must,  however,  know  all  about  the 
connections  of  the  different  papers."  This  knowledge 
will  in  great  part  be  found  in  the  present  work. 

The  reason  for  reproducing  certain  portions  of  my 


PREFACE 


previous  writings  in  this  book  is  that  they  are  essential 
for  the  purpose  of  completing  the  character  portrait 
given  in  the  diary.  Without  them  it  would  be  deficient 
in  some  parts,  and  unintelligible  in  others.  The  repro- 
ductions referred  to  are  in  almost  every  instance  con- 
siderably altered  and  supplemented  with  additional 
matter,  and  they  now  occupy  a  more  suitable  position 
in  the  work  than  before. 

MORITZ  BUSCH. 

Leipzig,  July  30,  1898. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 


PAGE 


BIY  APPOINTMENT  AS  AN  OFFICIAL  IN  THE  FOREIGN  OFFICE,  AND  MY 
FIRST  AUDIENCE  WITH  BISMARCK — WORK  AND  OBSERVATIONS  UP 
TO   THE   OUTBREAK    OF   THE    WAR   WITH   FRANCE         .  .  .1 

CHAPTER  II 

DEPARTURE  OF  THE  CHANCELLOR  FOR  THE  SEAT  OF  WAR — I  FOLLOW 
HIM,  AT  FIRST  TO  SAARBRUECK — JOURNEY  FROM  THERE  TO  THE 
FRENCH  FRONTIER — THE  FOREIGN  OFFICE  FLYING  COLUMN      .   64 

CHAPTER  III 

FROM   THE    FRONTIER  TO   GRAVELOTTE  .  .  .  .  .76 

CHAPTER   IV 

COMMERCY — BAR  LE   DUG — CLERMONT   EN   ARGONNE  .  .  .     103 

CHAPTER  V 

WE  TURN  TOWARDS  THE  NORTH—  THE  CHANCELLOR  OF  THE  CONFEDERA- 
TION AT  REZONVILLE — THE  BATTLE  AND  BATTLEFIELD  OF  BEAUMONT     126 

CHAPTER   VI 

SEDAN — BISMARCK   AND   NAPOLEON   AT   DONCHERY  .  .  .     141 

CHAPTER  VII 

FROM  THE  MEUSE  TO  THE  MARNE  ......   163 

CHAPTER  VIII 

BISMARCK    AND    FAVRE    AT    HAUTE-MAISON — A    FORTNIGHT    IN    ROTHS- 

child's  chateau  .......     191 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  IX 

PAGE 

THE  JOURNEY  TO  VERSAILLES — MADAME  JESSE's   HOUSE,  AND  OUR  LIFE 

THERE        .........      227 


CHAPTER  X 

AUTUMN    DAYS    AT    VERSAILLES  ......      235 

CHAPTER  XI 

THIERS  AND  THE  FIRST  NEGOTIATIONS  FOR  AN  ARMISTICE  AT  VERSAILLES     274 

CHAPTER  XII 

GROWING  DESIRE  FOR  A  DECISION  IN  VARIOUS  DIRECTIONS  .  .     310 

CHAPTER  XIII 

REMOVAL  OF  THE  ANXIETY  RESPECTING  THE  BAVARIAN  TREATY  IN  THE 

REICHSTAG — THE  BOMBARDMENT  FURTHER  POSTPONED     .       .   330 

CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  PROSPECTS  OUTSIDE  PARIS  IMPROVE        .....      373 

CHAPTER  XV 

CHAUDORDY    AND     THE     TRUTH — OFFICERS     OF     BAD     FAITH — FRENCH 

GARBLING — THE    CROWN   PRINCE   DINES   WITH   THE    CHIEF  .  .     392 

CHAPTER   XVI 

FIRST   WEEK    OF  THE    BOMBARDMENT  .....      427 

CHAPTER  XVII 

LAST  WEEKS  BEFORE  THE  CAPITULATION  OF  PARIS  .  .  .     460 

CHAPTER  XVIII 

DURING  THE  NEGOTIATIONS  RESPECTING  THE  CAPITULATION  OF  PARIS     .     492 

CHAPTER  XIX 

FROM  GAMBETTA's  RESIGNATION  TO  THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  PRELIMIN- 
ARIES OF  PEACE  ........      553 


BISMARCK 

SOME  SECRET  PAGES  OF  HIS  HISTORY 
CHAPTER  I 

MY  APPOINTMENT  AS  AN  OFFICIAL  IN  THE  FOREIGN  OFFICE, 

AND    MY    FIRST    AUDIENCE    WITH     BISMARCK WORK 

AND     OBSERVATIONS    UP    TO    THE    OUTBREAK    OF     THE 
WAR  WITH    FRANCE 

On  February  1st,  1870,  while  living  in  Leipzig  and 
engaged  in  literary  work,  I  received — quite  unexpectedly 
— from  Dr.  Metzler,  Secretary  in  the  Foreign  Office  of 
the  North  German  Confederation,  who  was  at  that  time 
occupied  principally  with  press  matters  and  with  whom 
I  had  been  in  communication  since  1867,  a  short  note 
requesting  me  to  come  to  Berlin  in  order  to  have  a  talk 
with  him.  On  my  arrival  I  ascertained,  to  my  great 
surprise,  that  Dr.  Metzler  had  recommended  me  to  Herr 
von  Keudell,  Councillor  of  Embassy,  who  was  then  in 
charge  of  personal  and  finance  matters  in  the  Foreign 
Office,  for  a  confidential  position  under  the  Chancellor 
of  the  Confederation,  which  he,  Metzler  himself,  had 
previously  held,  and  in  which  my  chief  duty  would  be 
to  carry  out  the  instructions  of  the  Chancellor  in  press 
matters.  I  was  to  be  in  immediate  communication  with 
the  Chancellor.  My  position  for  the  time  being  would 
VOL.   I  B 


2    MY  FIRST  INTERVIEW  WITH  BISMARCK    [Feb.  23,  1870 


be  what  was  called  "diatarisch,"  that  is  to  say  without 
any  claim  to  a  pension  and  without  a  title.  Further 
details  were  to  be  arranged  with  Herr  von  Keudell  on 
his  return  from  his  honeymoon.  For  the  moment  I  was 
only  required  to  declare  my  readiness  in  general  to 
accept  the  offer,  and  later  on  I  was  to  formulate  my  wishes 
and  lay  them  in  writing  before  Herr  von  Keudell. 

This  I  did  in  a  letter  dated  February  4th,  in  which  I 
emphasised  as  the  most  important  condition  that  I  should 
be  entirely  independent  of  the  Literary  or  Press  Bureau, 
and  that  if  my  capacity  for  the  position  should  not  prove 
equal  to  the  expectations  formed  of  it  I  should  not  be 
appointed  an  official  in  that  department.  On  February 
19th  I  heard  from  Metzler  that  my  conditions  had  been 
in  the  main  agreed  t©,  and  that  no  objections  had  been 
raised  with  regard  to  that  respecting  the  Literary  Bureau. 
I  was  to  discuss  the  further  arrangements  with  Keudell 
himself,  and  to  be  prepared  to  enter  upon  my  duties  at 
once.  On  February  21st  I  had  a  satisfactory  interview 
with  the  latter,  in  the  course  of  which  we  came  to  an 
understanding  as  to  terms.  On  the  23rd  I  was  informed 
by  Keudell  that  the  Chancellor  had  agreed  to  my 
conditions,  and  that  he  had  arranged  for  me  to  call  upon 
Bismarck  on  the  following  evening.  Next  day  I  took  the 
official  oath,  and  on  the  same  evening,  shortly  after 
8  o'clock,  I  found  myself  in  the  presence  of  the  Chancellor, 
Avhom  I  had  only  seen  at  a  distance  once  before,  namely, 
from  the  Press  Gallery  of  the  Reichstag.  Now,  two 
years  later,  I  saw  him  again  as  he  sat  in  a  military 
uniform  at  his  writing  table  with  a  bundle  of  documents 
before  him.  I  was  quite  close  to  him  this  time,  and  felt 
as  if  I  stood  before  the  altar. 

He  gave  me  his  hand,  and  motioned  me  to  take  a  seat 
opposite  him.  He  began  by  saying  that  although  he 
(Jesired  to  have  a  talk  with  me,  he  must  for  the  moment 


Feb.23,  i87o]       WHAT  MY  WORK  WAS  TO  BE  3 

content  himself  with  just  making  my  acquaintance,  as  he 
had  very  little  time  to  spare.  "  I  have  been  kept  in  the 
Reichstag  to-day  longer  than  I  expected  by  a  number  of 
lengthy  and  tiresome  speeches  ;  then  I  have  here 
(pointing  to  the  documents  before  him)  despatches  to 
read,  also  as  a  rule  not  very  amusing;  and  at  9  o'clock  I 
must  go  to  the  palace,  and  that  is  not  particularly 
entertaining  either.  What  have  you  been  doing  up  to 
the  present?"  I  replied  that  I  had  edited  the  Grenzboten, 
an  organ  of  practically  National  Liberal  views,  which  I 
left,  however,  on  one  of  the  proprietors  showing  a  dis- 
position to  adopt  a  Progressist  policy  on  the  Schleswig- 
Holstein  question.  The  Chancellor  :  "  Yes,  I  know  that 
paper."  I  then  went  on  to  say  that  I  had  at  the  instance 
of  the  Government  taken  a  position  at  Hanover,  where  I 
assisted  the  Civil  Commissioner,  Herr  von  Hardenberg, 
in  representing  Prussian  interests  in  the  local  press 
during  the  year  of  transition.  I  had  subsequently,  on 
instructions  received  from  the  Foreign  Office,  written  a 
number  of  articles  for  different  political  journals,  amongst 
others  for  the  Preussische  Jahrhuecher,  to  which  I  had 
also  previously  contributed.  Bismarck  :  "  Then  you 
understand  our  politics  and  the  German  question  in 
particular.  I  intend  to  get  you  to  write  notes  and 
articles  for  the  papers  from  such  particulars  and  instruc- 
tions as  I  may  give  you,  for  of  course  I  cannot  myself 
write  leaders.  You  will  also  arrange  for  others  doing  so. 
At  first  these  will  naturally  be  by  way  of  trial.  I  must 
have  some  one  especially  for  this  purpose,  and  not  merely 
occasional  assistance  as  at  present,  especially  as  I  also 
receive  very  little  useful  help  from  the  Literary  Bureau. 
But  how  long  do  you  remain  here  ?  "  and  as  he  looked 
at  his  watch  I  thought  he  desired  to  bring  the  conver- 
sation to  a  close.     I  replied  that  I  had  arranged  to 

B  2 


4  PARLIAMENTAR  V  "  TWADDLE "     [Feb.  23, 1870 

remain  in  Berlin.  Bismarck  :  "  Ah,  very  well  then,  I 
shall  have  a  long  talk  with  you  one  of  these  days.  In 
the  meantime  see  Herr  von  Keudell,  and  also  Herr 
Bucher,  Councillor  of  Embassy,  who  is  well  acquainted 
with  all  these  matters."  I  understood  that  I  was  now  at 
liberty  to  go,  and  was  about  to  rise  from  my  seat  when 
the  Chancellor  said  :  "  Of  course  you  know  the  question 
which  was  before  the  House  to-day  ?  "  I  replied  in  the 
negative,  explaining  that  I  had  been  too  busy  to  read 
the  reports  in  the  newspapers.  "  Well,"  he  said,  "  it 
was  respecting  the  admission  of  Baden  into  the  North 
German  Confederation.  It  is  a  pity  that  people  cannot 
manage  to  wait,  and  that  they  treat  everything  from  a 
party  standpoint,  and  as  furnishing  opportunities  for 
speech-making.  Disagreeable  business  to  have  to  answer - 
such  speeches,  not  to  say  such  twaddle  !  These  eloquent 
gentlemen  are  really  like  ladies  with  small  feet.  They 
force  them  into  shoes  that  are  too  tight  for  them,  and 
push  them  under  our  noses  on  all  occasions  in  order  that 
we  may  admire  them.  It  is  just  the  same  with  a  man 
who  has  the  misfortune  to  be  eloquent.  He  speaks  too 
often  and  too  long.  The  question  of  German  unity  is 
making  good  progress  ;  but  it  requires  time — one  year 
perhaps,  or  five,  or  indeed  possibly  even  ten  years.  I 
cannot  make  it  go  any  faster,  nor  can  these  gentlemen 
either.  But  they  have  no  patience  to  wait."  With  these 
words  he  rose,  and  again  shaking  hands  I  took  leave  of 
him  for  the  time. 

I  was  thus  enlisted  in  the  ranks  of  Bismarck's 
fellow  workers.  An  opportunity  for  the  general  in- 
structions which  he  proposed  to  give  me  never  occurred. 
I  had  to  enter  upon  my  work  at  once.  Next  e^/ening  I 
was  twice  called  in  to  him  to  receive  instructions  for 
articles,     Later  on  I   sometimes   saw   him   still   more 


Feb. 23, 1870]    HOW  I  RECEIVED  MY  INSTRUCTIONS 


frequently,  and  occasionally  in  the  forenoon  also — now 
and  then  as  often  as  five  or  even  eight  times  in  one 
day.  At  these  interviews  I  had  to  take  good  care  to 
keep  my  ears  well  open,  and  to  note  everything  with 
the  closest  attention,  so  that  two  pieces  of  information 
or  two  sets  of  instructions  should  not  get  mixed  up. 
However,  I  soon  found  myself  equal  to  this  unusually 
trying  task,  as  Bismarck's  opinions  and  instructions 
were  always  given  in  a  striking  form,  which  it  was  easy 
to  remember.  Besides,  he  was  accustomed  to  repeat 
his  principal  points  in  other  words.  Then,  again,  I 
made  myself  all  ears,  so  that,  through  practice,  I 
gradually  succeeded  in  retaining  long  sentences,  and 
even  whole  speeches,  practically  without  omissions, 
until  I  had  an  opportunity  of  committing  them  to 
paper.  Bismarck  used  also  to  send  me,  by  one  of  the 
messengers,  documents  and  newspapers  marked  with 
the  letter  V  and  a  cross,  signs  which  indicated  "  Press 
Instructions."  When  I  found  such  papers  on  my  desk 
I  looked  them  through,  and  subsequently  obtained  the 
Chancellor  s  directions  with  regard  to  them.  Further- 
more, when  I  had  anything  of  imjjortance  to  ask  or  to 
submit  for  his  approval,  I  was  allowed  to  call  upon  him 
without  previous  invitation.  I  thus  practically  occupied 
the  position  of  a  "  Vortragender  Rath"  (^.e.,  an  official 
having  direct  access  to  the  Chancellor),  excepting  only 
that  I  had  neither  the  title  nor  the  sense  of  infallibility 
common  to  all  such  Councillors. 

The  newspapers  to  which  the  articles  thus  prepared 
were  supplied  were  the  Norddeutschc  Allgemeine 
Zeitung,  then  edited  l^y  Brass,  which  was  the  semi- 
official organ,  properly  speaking ;  the  Spenersche 
Zcitung,  and  the  Neue  Preussische  Zeitung.  I  also 
frequently  sent   letters   to  the  Kohiische  Zeitung,  ex- 


6  WORKING  THE  PRESS  [Feb.  23, 1870 

pressing  the  Chancellor's  views.  During  the  first 
months  of  my  appointment  Metzler,  who  had  previously 
contributed  to  that  paper,  served  as  the  medium  for  com- 
municating these  articles.  Subsequently  they  were 
sent  direct  to  the  editor,  and  were  always  accepted 
without  alteration.  In  addition  to  this  work  I  saw  one 
of  the  writers  from  the  Literary  Bureau  every  forenoon, 
and  gave  him  material  which  was  sent  to  the  Magde- 
hiirger  Zeitung  and  some  of  the  smaller  newspapers ; 
while  other  members  of  his  department  furnished 
portions  of  it  to  certain  Silesian,  East  Prussian,  and 
South  German  organs.  I  had  similar  weekly  interviews 
with  other,  and  somewhat  more  independent,  writers. 
Amongst  these  I  may  mention  Dr.  Bock,  who  supplied 
articles  to  the  Augsburger  Allgemeine  Zeitung,  and  a 
number  of  papers  in  Hanover ;  Professor  Constantine 
Eoeszler,  formerly  Lecturer  at  Jena,  who  subsequently 
assisted  Pichthofen  at  Hamburg  and  afterwards  edited 
the  Staatsanzeiger ;  and  finally  Herr  Heide,  who  had 
previously  been  a  missionary  in  Australia  and  was  at 
that  time  working  for  the  North  German  Correspon- 
dence, which  had  been  founded  with  a  view  to 
influencing  the  English  press. 

In  addition  to  this  my  duties  also  included  the 
reading  of  masses  of  German,  Austrian  and  French 
newspapers,  which  were  laid  upon  my  table  three 
times  daily,  and  the  management  and  purchase  of 
books  for  the  Ministerial  Library.  It  will  therefore  be 
easily  understood  that  while  the  Chancellor  remained 
in  Berlin  I  had  more  than  enough  to  attend  to,  I 
was  engaged  not  only  on  week-days,  but  also  on 
Sundays,  from  9  in  the  morning  until  3  in  the 
afternoon,  and  again  from  5  till  10  and  sometimes  11 
o'clock  at  night.     Indeed,  it  sometimes  occurred  that  a 


Feb.27,  i87o]     THE  NATIONAL  LIBERAL  LEADERS  7 

messenger  from  the  Chancellor  came  at  midnight  to 
call  me  away  from  a  party  of  friends  or  out  of  my  bed 
in  order  to  receive  pressing  instructions. 

I  reproduce  here  in  the  form  in  which  they  appear 
in  my  diary  the  particulars  of  a  number  of  more  or  less 
characteristic  statements  and  instructions  which  I  received 
from  the  Chancellor  at  that  period.  They  show  that  the 
statesman  whom  I  had  the  honour  to  serve  thoroughly 
understood  the  business  of  journalism,  and  they  further 
throw  a  welcome  light  upon  many  of  the  political  events 
of  that  time. 

Some  days  after  the  debate  in  the  Reichstag  respect- 
ing the  entrance  of  Baden  into  the  North  German  Con- 
federation, to  which  reference  has  already  been  made, 
and  while  the  matter  was  still  occupying  both  the 
attention  of  the  press  and  of  the  Chancellor,  I  find  the 
following  entry  among  my  notes  : — 

February  27^^,  evening. — Called  to  see  the  Minister. 
I  am  to  direct  special  attention  to  the  nonsense  written 
by  the  National  Liberal  Press  on  the  last  sitting  of 
the  Reichstag.  The  Chancellor  said  : — "  The  National 
Liberals  are  not  a  united  party.  They  are  merely  two 
fractions.  Amongst  their  leaders  Bennigsen  and  For- 
kenbeck  are  sensible  men,  and  there  are  also  a  couple  of 
others.  Miguel  is  inclined  to  be  theatrical.  Loewe, 
with  his  deep  chest  notes,  does  everything  for  effect. 
He  has  not  made  a  single  practical  remark.  Lasker  is 
effective  in  destructive  criticism,  but  is  no  politician. 
It  sounded  very  odd  to  hear  him  declare  that  they  were 
now  too  much  occupied  with  Rome  in  Paris  and  Vienna 
to  interfere  with  us  in  connection  with  the  Baden  affair. 
If  it  were  possible  to  get  those  of  really  Progressist 
views  to  act  independently,  it  would  make  the  situation 
much  clearer.     Friedenthal's  speech  was  excellent.     I 


8  THE  SITU  A  TION  IN  FRANCE        [Feb.  27, 1870 

must  ask  you  also  to  emphasise  tlie  following  points  : — 
1.  The  unfairness  of  the  National  Zeitung  in  repeating 
misunderstandings  which  I  explained  and  disposed  of  in 
my  speech.  2.  The  make-believe  support  given  to  my 
policy  by  men  who  were  elected  for  the  express  purpose 
of  rendering  me  real  assistance.  3.  That  such  politi- 
cians either  cannot  see  or  intentionally  overlook  my 
principal  motive,  viz.,  that  to  admit  Baden  into  the 
Confederation  would  bring  pressure  to  bear  upon  Bavaria, 
and  that  it  is  therefore  a  hazardous  step.  Attention 
should  be  paid  to  the  situation  in  France,  so  that  nothing 
should  be  done  which  might  endanger  the  Constitutional 
evolution  of  that  country,  an  evolution  hitherto  pro- 
moted in  every  way  from  Berlin,  as  it  signifies  peace  for 
us.  The  French  Arcadians  "  (the  party  that  supported 
Napoleon  through  thick  and  thin)  "  are  watching  the 
course  of  events  in  Germany,  and  waiting  their  oppor- 
tunity. Napoleon  is  now  well  disposed  to  us,  but  he  is 
very  changeable.  We  could  now  fight  France  and  beat 
her  too,  but  that  war  would  give  rise  to  five  or  six  others  ; 
and  while  we  can  gain  our  ends  by  peaceful  means,  it 
would  be  foolish,  if  not  criminal,  to  take  such  a  course. 
Events  in  France  may  take  a  warlike  or  revolutionary 
turn,  which  would  render  the  present  brittle  metal  there 
more  malleable.  There  was  an  important  point  in  my 
speech,  which,  however,  these  good  people  failed  to 
recognise.  That  was  the  intimation  that  in  certain 
circumstances  we  should  pay  no  regard  either  to  the 
views  of  Austria  respecting  South  Germany  as  a  whole, 
nor  to  those  of  France,  who  objected  to  the  admission 
of  any  single  South  German  State  into  the  North  German 
Confederation.  That  was  a  feeler.  Further  measures 
can  only  be  considered  when  I  know  how  that  hint  has 
been  received  in  Vienna  and  Paris." 


Mar.  1, 1870]       THE  SOUTH  GERMAN  STATES  9 

March  1st. — Count  Bismarck  wishes  me  to  get  the 
following  inserted  in  the  South  German  newspapers  : — 
"  The  speech  of  von  Freydorf,  the  Grand  Ducal  Minister, 
in  the  Baden  Diet  on  the  Jurisdiction  Treaty  with  the 
North  German  Confederation,  has  been  inspired  by  an 
absolutely  correct  view  of  the  situation.  Particular 
attention  should  be  paid  to  that  portion  in  which  the 
Foreign  Minister  of  the  Grand  Duchy  declared  the 
policy  of  Baden  to  be  in  perfect  accord  with  that  of 
the  Chancellor  of  the  North  German  Confederation,  and 
also  to  the  manner  in  which  he  defined  the  position  of 
the  South  German  States  towards  the  Treaty  of  Prague. 
Through  the  dissolution  of  the  old  Germanic  Con- 
federacy, those  States  have,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  become 
sovereign  States.  That  treaty  gives  them  liberty  (to 
me  :  Underline  those  words !)  to  form  a  new  union 
amongst  themselves,  a  South  German  Confederation,  by 
means  of  which  they  may  take  measures  for  bringing 
about  a  national  union  with  the  united  North.  That 
treaty  involves  no  prescription,  engagement  or  com- 
pulsion whatever  to  adopt  such  a  course.  Any  insinua- 
tion of  that  kind  with  respect  to  States  whose  sovereignty 
has  been  emphatically  recognised  would  be  something 
absolutely  unheard  of.  In  the  Swiss  war  of  the  Sonder- 
bund,  and  also  in  the  late  American  civil  war,  States 
were  obliged  against  their  own  will  to  remain  within  a 
union  which  they  had  previously  joined,  but  no  one  ever 
saw  a  sovereign  State  or  Prince  required  to  enter  into 
confederation  against  their  own  judgment.  The  South 
German  States,  including  half  of  Hesse,  have  unquestion- 
ably the  right — acting  either  in  concert  or  singly — to 
endeavour,  in  co-operation  with  the  North,  to  advance 
the  cause  of  national  unity.  The  question  is  whether 
the  present  is  a  good  time  to  choose.     The  Chancellor 


lo  THE  UNION  OF  NORTH  AND  SOUTH  [Mar.  3, 1870 


of  the  North  German  Confederation  answers  this  question 
in  the  negative.  But  it  is  only  possible  by  the  most 
wilful  garbling  of  his  expressions  to  maintain  that  his 
final  aim  is  not  the  union  of  Germany.  Partition  of 
German  national  territory  !  Calumny  !  Not  a  single 
word  of  the  Chancellor's  justifies  that  conclusion.  As 
Herr  Lasker  has  not  spoken  at  the  instance  of  the 
Government  of  Baden,  although  his  speech  would  almost 
convey  the  impression  that  he  was  a  Minister  of  that 
State,  it  is  difficult  to  understand  where  he  got  that 
idea.  Perhaps  it  was  merely  the  conceit  of  the  honour- 
able member  that  led  him  to  make  such  a  statement." 

March  Srd. — The  Minister  wishes  the  Kolnische 
Zeitung  first,  and  afterwards  the  South  German  news- 
papers, to  advocate  the  organisation  into  one  great  party 
of  all  men  of  national  views  in  the  South  German  States, 
so  as  to  get  rid  of  the  particularism  which  had  hitherto 
divided  them.  "  The  matter  lies  much  more  in  their 
hands,"  he  said,  "  than  in  those  of  the  North  German 
National  Liberals.  The  North  German  Governments  will 
do  all  that  is  possible  in  a  reasonable  way  in  support  of 
the  efforts  of  South  Germany.  But  the  South  Germans 
who  wish  to  unite  with  us  must  act  together  and  not 
singly.  I  want  you  to  reiterate  this  point  again  and 
again.  The  article  must  then  be  printed  in  the 
Spenersche  Zeitung  and  in  other  newspapers  to  which 
we  have  access,  and  it  should  be  accompanied  by 
expressions  of  deep  regret  at  the  particularism  which 
prevents  the  union  of  the  various  Southern  parties  that 
gravitate  towards  North  Germany.  A  union  of  the  four 
Southern  States  is  an  impossibility,  but  there  is  nothing 
to  hinder  the  formation  of  a  Southern  League  composed 
of  men  of  national  sentiments.  The  National  party  in 
Baden,    the    German    party    in   Wilrtemberg,  and   the 


Mar.  3, 1870]  /  WRITE  A  LETTER  "  FROM  A  FRENCHMAN"  1 1 


Bavarian  Progressist  party  are  merely  different  names 
for  the  same  thing.  These  groups  have  to  deal  with 
different  Governments,  and  some  persons  maintain  that 
they  must  consequently  adopt  different  tactics.  Their 
aims  are  nevertheless  identical  in  all  important  points. 
With  the  best  will  in  the  world  those  three  parties, 
while  acting  singly,  produce  but  a  slight  impression. 
If  they  desire  to  go  ahead  and  become  an  important 
factor  in  public  affairs,  they  must  combine  to  form  a 
great  and  homogeneous  South  German  National  party 
which  must  be  reckoned  with  on  both  sides  of  the 
Main." 

Read  over  to  the  Minister,  at  his  request,  an 
article  which  he  ordered  yesterday  and  for  which 
he  gave  me  the  leading  ideas.  It  was  to  be  dated 
from  Paris,  and  published  in  the  Kolnische  Zeitung. 
He  said  : — "  Yes,  you  have  correctly  expressed  my 
meaning.  The  composition  is  good  both  as  regards  its 
reasoning  and  the  facts  which  it  contains.  But  no 
Frenchman  thinks  in  such  logical  and  well-ordered 
fashion,  yet  the  letter  is  understood  to  Ije  written  by  a 
Frenchman.  It  must  contain  more  gossip,  and  you 
must  pass  more  lightly  from  point  to  point.  In  doing 
so  you  must  adopt  an  altogether  French  standpoint.  A 
Liberal  Parisian  writes  the  letter  and  gives  his  opinion 
as  to  the  position  of  his  party  towards  the  German 
question,  expressing  himself  in  the  manner  usual  in 
statements  of  that  kind."  (Finally  Count  Bismarck 
dictated  the  greater  part  of  the  article,  which  was 
forwarded  by  Metzler  in  its  altered  form  to  the  Rhenish 
newspaper. ) 

In  connection  with  this  task  the  Minister  said  to  me 
the  day  before  : — "  I  look  at  the  matter  in  this  way.  A 
correspondent   in  Paris  must  give  his   opinion  of  my 


12  THE  VATICAN  COUNCIL  [Mar.  3, 1870 

quarrel  with  Lasker  and  the  others  over  the  Baden 
question,  and  bring  forward  arguments  which  I  did  not 
think  it  desirable  to  use  at  that  time.  He  must  say 
that  no  one  could  deem  it  advisable  in  the  present  state 
of  affairs  in  Bavaria,  when  the  King  seems  to  be  so  well 
disposed,  to  do  anything  calculated  on  the  one  hand  to 
irritate  him,  and  on  the  other  to  disturb  the  Consti- 
tutional movement  in  France — which  movement  tended 
to  preserve  peace  while  it  would  itself  be  promoted  by 
the  maintenance  of  peace.  Those  who  desire  to  advance 
the  cause  of  liberty  do  not  wish  to  go  to  war  with  us, 
yet  they  could  not  swim  against  the  stream  if  we  took 
any  action  in  South  Germany  which  public  opinion 
would  regard  as  detrimental  to  the  interests  and  prestige 
of  France.  Moreover,  for  the  present  the  course  of  the 
Vatican  Council  should  not  be  interfered  with,  as  the 
result  for  Germany  might  possibly  be  a  diversion.  We 
must  wait  for  these  things,"  he  added.  "  I  cannot 
explain  that  to  them.  If  they  were  politicians  they 
would  see  it  for  themselves.  There  are  reasons  for  for- 
bearance which  every  one  should  be  able  to  recognise ; 
but  Members  of  Parliament  who  cross-question  the 
Government  do  not  usually  regard  that  as  their  duty." 

The  second  portion  of  the  article  which  the  Minister 
dictated  runs  as  follows  : — "  Whoever  has  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  observing  here  in  Paris  how  difficult  the  birth 
of  the  present  Constitutional  movement  has  been,  what 
obstacles  this  latest  development  of  French  political  life 
has  to  overcome  if  it  is  to  strike  deep  roots,  and  how 
powerful  are  the  influences  of  which  the  guiding  spirit 
only  awaits  some  pretext  for  smothering  the  infant  in 
its  cradle,  will  understand  with  what  anxiety  we  watch 
the  horizon  abroad  and  what  a  profoundly  depressing 
effect  every  little  cloud  there  produces  upon  our  hopes 


Mar.4,  i87oj     CONSTITUTIONALISM  IN  FRANCE  13 

'''^\  of  a  secure  and  peaceful  development  of  the  new  regime. 
It  is  tlie  ardent  wish  of  every  sincere  adherent  of  the 
Constitutional  cause  in  France  that  there  should  now  be 
no  diversion  abroad,  no  change  on  the  horizon  of  foreign 
politics,  which  might  serve  if  not  as  a  real  motive  at 
least  as  a  pretext  for  crying  down  the  youthful  Consti- 
tutionalism of  France,  while  at  the  same  time  directing 
public  attention  to  foreign  relations.  We  believe  that 
the  Emperor  is  in  earnest,  but  his  immediate  entourage, 
and  the  creatures  whom  he  has  to  employ,  are  watching 
anxiously  for  some  event  which  shall  enable  them  to 
compel  the  Sovereign  to  abandon  a  course  which  they 
resent.  These  people  are  very  numerous,  and  have 
during  the  eighteen  years  of  the  Emperor's  reign  grown 
more  powerful  than  is  perhaps  believed  outside  France. 
Whoever  has  any  regard  for  the  Constitutional  develop- 
ment of  the  country  can  only  hope  that  no  alteration, 
however  slight,  shall  occur  in  the  foreign  relations  of 
France  to  serve  as  a  motive  or  pretext  for  that  reaction 
which  every  opponent  of  the  Constitution  is  striving  to 
bring  about." 

Between  the  directions  for  these  articles,  which  I 
here  bring  together  as  they  relate  to  the  same  subject,  I 
received  others,  some  of  which  I  may  also  reproduce. 

March  Uh. — The  Boersen  Zeitung  contained  an 
article  in  which  it  was  alleged  that  in  Germany  only 
nobles  were  considered  competent  to  become  Ministers. 
This  the  Count  sent  down  to  me  to  be  refuted  in  a  short 
article,  expressing  surprise  at  such  a  statement.  "  An 
absurd  electioneering  move ! "  the  Chancellor  said. 
"  Whoever  wishes  to  persuade  the  world  that  in  Prussia 
the  position  of  Minister  is  only  open  to  the  aristocracy, 
and  that  capable  commoners  have  absolutely  no  chance 
of  attaining  to  it,  must  have  no  memory  and  no  eyes. 


14  '' A  POINTLESS  ARTICLE''  [Mar.  5,1870 


Say  that  under  Count  Bismarck  no  less  tlian  three 
commoners  have,  on  his  recommendation,  been  appointed 
Ministers  within  a  short  period,  namely  Delbruck, 
Leonhard  and  Camphausen.  Lasker,  it  is  true,  has  not 
yet  been  appointed." 

I  wrote  this  short  article  immediately ;  but  the 
Chancellor  was  not  pleased  with  it.  "I  told  you  ex- 
pressly," he  said,  "  to  mention  the  names  of  Delbruck, 
Leonhard  and  Camphausen,  and  that  their  appointments 
were  due  to  my  personal  influence.  Go  straight  to  the 
point,  and  don't  wander  round  about  it  in  that  way ! 
That  is  no  use !  A  pointless  article  !  They  are  just 
the  cleverest  of  the  present  Ministers.  The  attack  on 
Lasker  is  also  out  of  place.  We  must  not  provoke 
people  unnecessarily.  They  are  right  when  they  complain 
of  bullying."  The  reference  to  Lasker  consisted  merely 
of  his  own  words  as  given  above. 

Marcli  bth. — The  Vossische  Zeitung  contained  a 
bitter  attack,  which  culminated  in  the  following  remark : 
"Exceptional  circumstances  —  and  such  must  be  ac- 
knowledged to  exist  when  working  men  are  treated  to 
breech-loaders,  and  Ministers  are  hanged  on  street 
lamps — cannot  be  taken  as  a  rule  for  the  regular 
conduct  of  affairs."  The  Count  received  this  article 
from  the  Literary  Bureau  of  the  Ministry  of  State 
(where  extracts  from  the  newspapers  were  made  for 
him),  although  it  might  well  have  been  withheld,  as  not 
much  importance  attaches  to  the  scoldings  of  "  Tante 
Voss."  The  Count  sent  for  me,  read  over  the  passage 
in  question,  and  observed  :  "  They  speak  of  times  when 
Ministers  were  hanged  on  street  lamps.  Unworthy 
lano-uage  !  Reply  that  such  a  thing  never  occurred  in 
Prussia,  and  that  there  is  no  prospect  of  its  occurring. 
In  the  meantime  it  shows  towards  what  condition  of 


Mar.6,  i87o]  CAPITAL  PUNISHMENT  15 

affairs  the  efforts  of  that  newspaper  are  tending,  which 
(under  the  auspices  of  Jacoby  and  Company)  supplies 
the  Progressist  middle  classes  of  Berlin  with  their 
politics." 

Called  in  again  later  to  the  Count.  I  am  to  go  to 
Geheimrath  Hahn  and  call  his  attention  to  the  question 
of  capital  punishment,  which  in  view  of  the  approach- 
ing elections  should  be  dealt  with  in  the  Provincial- 
Correspondenz  in  accordance  with  the  policy  of  the 
Government,  who  desire  its  retention.  The  Minister 
said  :  "  I  am  firmly  convinced  that  the  majority  of  the 
population  is  opposed  to  its  abolition.  Were  it  other- 
wise it  would  of  course  be  possible  to  do  away  with  it. 
It  is  a  mere  theory — the  sentimentality  of  lawyers  in 
the  Reichstag — a  party  doctrine  which  has  no  connection 
with  the  life  of  the  people,  although  its  advocates  are 
constantly  referring  to  the  people.  Tell  him  that,  but 
be  cautious  in  dealing  with  him.  He  is  somewhat 
conceited — bureaucratic.  Do  it  in  a  diplomatic  way. 
You  must  let  him  think  that  those  are  his  own  ideas. 
Otherwise  we  shall  not  get  anything  useful  out  of  him. 
Let  me  know  afterwards  what  he  says." 

March  6th. — Have  seen  Hahn.  He  is  of  opinion 
that  it  is  yet  too  early  to  deal  with  this  matter.  It 
will  probably  end  in  a  compromise,  capital  punishment 
being  only  retained  for  murder.  The  attitude  of  the 
Liberals  in  the  elections  can  only  be  influenced  after  the 
decision  in  the  Reichstag.  In  the  meantime  he  has 
instructed  the  Literary  Bureau  to  refute  the  article  in 
the  National  Zeitung,  and  to  show  how  sterile  the 
present  Parliament  would  be  if  it  allowed  the  long 
wished  for  Criminal  Code  to  be  wrecked  upon  this 
question  of  capital  punishment.  Report  this  to  the 
Minister.      He  is  of   opinion  that  Hahn  is  mistaken. 


i6  ARCHDUKE  ALBRECHT  IN  PARIS     [Mar.  ii,  1870 

"It  is  necessary  to  act  in  a  diplomatic  way  in  this 
case,"  he  observed.  "  One  must  present  an  appearance 
of  determination  up  to  the  last  moment ;  and  if  one 
wants  to  secure  a  suitable  compromise,  show  no  dis- 
position to  give  way  ;  besides,  Hahn  must  have  no  other 
policy  than  mine.  I  shall  speak  to  Eulenberg,  and  get 
him  to  set  Hahn  straight.  This  must  be  put  down  at 
once.  We  must  think  in  good  time  about  the 
elections." 

March  7th. — Sent  Brass  (Norddeutsche  AUgemeine 
Zeitung)  an  article  written  by  Bucher  under  instruc- 
tions from  the  Minister,  showing  that  the  majority  in 
the  Reichstag  does  not  represent  public  opinion  nor  the 
will  of  the  people,  but  only  the  opinions  and  desires  of 
the  Parliamentary  party. 

Called  to  the  Count  in  the  evening,  when  he  said  : 
"  I  want  you  to  secure  the  insertion  in  the  press  of  an 
article  somewhat  to  the  following  effect  :  For  some 
time  past  vague  rumours  of  war  have  been  current 
throughout  the  world  for  which  no  sufficient  ground 
exists  in  fact,  or  can  be  even  suggested.  The  explana- 
tion is  probably  to  be  sought  in  Stock  Exchange 
speculation  for  a  fall  which  has  been  started  in  Paris. 
Confidential  whispers  are  going  about  with  regard  to 
the  presence  of  Archduke  Albrecht  in  the  French  capital 
which  are  calculated  to  cause  uneasiness ;  and  then, 
naturally  enough,  these  rumours  are  shouted  aloud  and 
multiplied  by  the  windbags  of  the  Guelph  press." 

March  11th. — The  Count  wants  an  article  in  the 
National  Zeitung  to  be  answered  in  this  sense  :  "  The 
Liberals  in  Parliament  always  identify  themselves  with 
the  people.  They  maintain,  like  Louis  XIV.  with  his 
Letat  c'est  moi,  that  '  We  are  the  People.'  There  could 
hardly  be  a  more  absurd  piece  of  boasting  and  exaggera- 


Mar.  II,  i87o]         BEUST  AND  THE  VATICAN  17 

tion.  As  if  tlie  other  representatives,  the  Conservatives 
in  the  country,  and  the  great  numbers  who  belong  to  no 
party,  were  not  also  part  of  the  nation,  and  had  no  opinions 
and  interests  to  which  regard  should  be  paid  !  " 

Evening. — The  Minister,  referring  to  a  statement  in 
the  Norddeutsche  Allgemeine  Zeitung,  remarked : 
"  There  is  much  ado  about  the  decided  attitude  taken 
up  by  Beust  against  the  Curia.  According  to  the  report 
published  by  Brass  he  has  expressed  himself  very 
emphatically  respecting  its  latest  action,  in  a  note  which 
the  Ambassador  read  to  the  Secretary  of  State.  That 
must  be  refuted,  weakened.  Do  it  in  a  letter  from 
Rome  to  the  Kolnische  Zeitung.  Say  :  '  We  do  not 
know  if  the  analysis  of  the  despatch  in  question  (which 
has  made  the  round  of  the  papers,  and  which  was  first 
published  by  Tlie  Times)  is  correct,"  but  we  have  reason 
to  doubt  it.  Trautmansdorf  (the  Austrian  Ambassador 
to  the  Holy  See)  has  read  no  note  and  has  received  no 
instructions  to  make  any  positive  declaration,  but  is  on 
the  contrary  acting  in  accordance  with  his  own  convic- 
tions— and  it  is  known  that  he  is  very  clerical  and  not 
at  all  disposed  to  radical  measures.  He  has  communicated 
to  Cardinal  Antonelli  such  parts  of  the  information  that 
reached  him  from  Vienna  as  he  thought  proper,  and  he 
certainly  made  that  communication  in  as  considerate  a 
form  as  possible.  It  cannot  therefore  have  been  very 
emphatic." 

Later. — Attention  is  to  be  directed,  at  first  in  a  paper 
which  has  no  connection  w^ith  the  Government,  to  the 
prolonged  sojourn  of  Archduke  Albrecht  in  Paris  as  a 

1  The  despatch  was  understood  to  contam  a  sentence  to  the  effect  that 
Rome  should  take  care  not  to  challenge  Europe,  and  that  whatever  the 
Church  might  say,  the  Austrian  Courts  of  Justice  would  not  allow  them- 
selves to  be  influenced  into  according  any  indulgence  towards  those  who 
broke  the  laws  or  instigated  others  to  do  so. 

VOL.    I  C 


i8  THE  SPANISH  QUESTION  [Mar.  i6,  1870 

suspicious  symptom.  In  connection  with  it  rumours 
have  been  circulated  in  London  of  an  understanding 
between  France  and  Austria.  Our  papers  should  after- 
wards reproduce  these  hints. 

March  12th. — In  the  afternoon  Bucher  gave  me  the 
chiefs  instructions  to  order  the  Spanish  newspaper, 
Imparcial.  (This  is  of  some  importance,  as  it  doubtless 
indicates  that  even  then  we  had  a  hand  in  the  question 
of  electing  the  new  King.  On  several  occasions  sub- 
sequently I  secured  the  insertion  in  non-official  German 
papers  of  translations  which  Bucher  brought  me  of 
articles  in  that  newspaper  against  the  candidature  of 
Montpensier) 

March  IBth. — The  Chancellor  wishes  to  have  it  said 
in  one  of  the  "  remote  "journals  (that  is,  not  notoriously 
connected  with  the  Government)  that  the  Pope  has  paid 
no  regard  to  the  representations  of  France  and  Austria 
respecting  the  principal  points  which  should  be  decided 
by  the  Council.  He  would  not  have  done  so  even  if 
those  representations  had  been  expressed  in  a  more 
emphatic  form  than  they  actually  were.  Neither  Banne- 
ville  nor  Trautmansdorf  was  inclined  to  heartily  defend 
the  cause  of  the  State  against  the  Ultramontanes.  This 
disposes  of  the  news  of  the  Memorial  Diplomatique  to 
the  effect  that  at  the  suggestion  of  Count  Daru  the 
Curia  has  already  given  an  affirmative  answer.  That 
report  is  absolutely  false,  as  is  nearly  all  the  news 
published  by  the  paper  in  question.  It  is  much  the 
same  with  Count  Beust's  note  to  the  Papal  Government. 
("  Quote  the  word  '  note,' "  added  the  Minister.)  It  was 
only  a  despatch,  and,  doubtless,  a  very  tame  one. 

March  16th,  evening. — Called  up  to  the  Minister, 
who  lay  on  the  sofa  in  his  study.  "Here,"  he  said 
(pointing  to  a  newspaper).       "  They  complain    of   the 


Mar.2i,i87o]  THE  GERMAN  BISHOPS  AND  THE  VATICAN   19 

accumulation  of  labour  imposed  upon  Parliament. 
Already  eight  months'  hard  work !  That  must  be 
answered.  It  is  true  that  members  of  Parliament 
have  a  great  deal  to  do,  but  Ministers  are  still  worse 
off.  In  addition  to  their  work  in  the  two  Diets  the 
latter  have  an  immense  amount  of  business  to  transact 
for  the  King  and  the  country  both  while  Parliament  is 
sitting  and  during  the  recess.  Moreover,  members  have 
the  remedy  in  their  own  hands.  If  those  who  do  not 
belong  to  the  Upper  Chamber  will  abstain  from  standing 
for  election  both  to  the  Prussian  and  the  Federal  Diet 
they  will  lighten  their  task  sufficiently.  They  are  not 
obliged  to  sit  in  both  Houses." 

March  Vist. — I  am  to  call  attention  in  the  semi- 
official organs  to  the  fact  that  the  Reichstag  is  discussing 
the  Criminal  Code  far  too  minutely  and  slowly.  "The 
speakers,"  observed  the  Count,  "  show  too  great  a  desire 
for  mere  talk,  and  are  too  fond  of  details  and  hair- 
splitting. If  this  continues  the  Bills  will  not  be 
disposed  of  in  the  present  Session,  especially  as  the 
Budget  has  still  to  be  discussed.  The  President  might 
well  exercise  stricter  control.  Another  unsatisfactory 
feature  is  that  so  many  members  absent  themselves 
from  the  sittings.  Our  newspapers  ought  to  publish 
regularly  lists  of  such  absentees.  Please  see  that  is 
done." 

Called  up  again  later  and  commissioned  to  explain 
in  the  press  the  attitude  of  Prussia  towards  those 
Prelates  who  oppose  the  Curia  in  Rome.  The  Chancellor 
said :  "  The  newspapers  express  a  desire  that  the 
Government  should  support  the  German  Bishops  on  the 
Council.  You  should  ask  if  those  writers  have  formed 
a  clear  idea  as  to  how  we  should  set  about  that  task. 
Should  Prussia  perhaps  send  a  Note  to  the  Council,  or 

c  2 


20  BEUST  AND  THE  POLISH  QUESTION    [Mar.  25, 1870 

to  Antonelli,  the  Papal  Minister,  who  does  not  belong  to 
that  Ijody  ?  or  is  she  to  secure  representation  in  that 
assembly  of  Prelates,  and  protest  (of  course  in  vain) 
against  what  she  objects  to?  Prussia  will  not  desert 
those  Bishops  who  do  not  submit  themselves  to  the 
yoke,  but  it  is  for  the  Prelates  in  the  first  place  to 
maintain  a  determined  attitude.  We  cannot  take  pre- 
ventive measures,  as  they  would  be  of  no  value,  but  it 
is  open  to  us  to  adopt  a  repressive  policy  in  case  a 
decision  is  come  to  in  opposition  to  our  wishes.  If, 
after  that  decision  has  been  arrived  at,  it  should  prove 
to  be  incompatible  with  the  mission  and  interests  of  the 
State,  then  existing  legislation,  if  found  inadequate,  can 
be  easily  supplemented  and  altered.  The  demand  that 
the  Prussian  Government  should  support  the  more 
moderate  Bishops  is  a  mere  empty  phrase  so  long  as  no 
practical  means  of  giving  effect  to  it  can  be  discovered. 
Moreover,  the  course  which  I  now  indicate  will  in  any 
case  be  ultimately  successful,  although  success  may  not 
at  once  be  completely  achieved." 

March  25th. — The  Chief  wishes  Klaczko's  appoint- 
ment in  Vienna  to  be  discussed.  He  said  to  me : 
"  Beust  intends  in  that  way  to  revive  the  Polish  question. 
Point  to  the  journalistic  activity  of  that  indefatigable 
agitator,  and  to  his  bitter  hatred  both  of  ourselves  and 
Russia.  Quote  Rechenberg's  confidential  despatch  of 
the  2nd  of  March  from  Warsaw,  where  he  says  that  the 
Polish  secret  political  societies  which  are  engaged  at 
Lemberg  in  preparing  for  a  revolution,  with  the  object 
of  restoring  Polish  independence,  have  sent  a  deputation 
to  Klaczko  congratulating  him  on  his  appointment  to  a 
position  where  he  is  in  direct  communication  with  the 
Chancellor  of  the  Empire.  Send  the  article  first  to  the 
Kolnische  Zeitung,  and  afterwards  arrange  for  similar 


Mar.25,1870]  THE  VATICAN  AND  THE  CATHOLIC  POWERS  21 

articles  in  the  provincial  newspapers.  We  must  finally 
see  that  this  reaches  Eeuss  (the  Ambassador  in  St. 
Petersburg),  in  order  that  he  may  get  it  reproduced  in 
the  Russian  press.  It  can  also  appear  in  the  Kreuz- 
zeitimg,  and  it  must  be  brought  up  again  time  after 
time  in  another  form." 

Afternoon. — Geheimrath  Al)eken  desires  me,  on  the 
instructions  of  the  Minister,  to  take  note  of  the  following 
document,  which  is  apparently  based  on  a  despatch  : 
"It  is  becoming  more  and  more  difficult  to  understand 
the  attitude  of  the  Austrian  Government  towards  the 
Council.  All  the  organs  of  public  opinion  are  on  the 
side  of  the  Austrian  Bishops,  who  are  making  such  a 
dignified  and  decisive  stand  in  Rome.  The  reports 
which  the  Government  thought  well  to  allow  the  press 
to  publish  respecting  the  steps  which  they  have  taken 
in  Rome  were  in  harmony  with  this  attitude.  The 
news  from  Rome,  however,  speaks  only  of  the  tameness 
and  indecision  with  which  the  Government's  policy  is 
being  carried  into  execution.  The  most  contradictory 
accounts  are  now  coming  in.  It  is  said  that  the  Austrian 
Ambassador  has  supported  the  action  of  the  French 
Ambassador,  which  is  known  not  to  have  been  very 
effective.  Expressions  have  been  attributed  to  Count 
Beust  showing  that,  in  his  opinion,  the  only  effectual 
course  would  be  for  all  the  Powers  to  take  common  or 
collective  action.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  asserted  that 
he  gave  a  negative  answer,  reciting  different  objections, 
to  the  proposal  of  another  Catholic  State  (Bavaria)  to 
join  it  in  a  decisive  declaration  in  Rome.  In  presence 
of  this  indecision  on  the  part  of  the  Catholic  Powers  the 
Bishops  will  doubtless  be  obliged  to  follow  their  own 
consciences  and  decide  for  themselves  what  their  course 
of  action  is  to  be.     We  are  convinced  however  that  if 


22  FRANCE  AND  THE  VATICAN      [Mar.  25,  1870 

the  Prelates  themselves  resolved  to  make  a  determined 
stand  on  behalf  of  their  consciences  the  situation  would 
immediately  undergo  a  change  in  their  favour,  and  that 
ultimately  no  Government  would  desert  its  own  Bishops 
even  if  they  were  in  a  minority. 

"  Bismarck  has  already  explained  to  the  Prussian 
Ambassador  in  Paris  that  he  is  prepared  to  support 
every  initiative  taken  on  the  Catholic  side  in  the  matter 
of  the  Council.  He  at  the  same  time  discussed  the 
subject  with  Benedetti,  expressing  himself  in  a  similar 
sense,  but  in  the  meantime  making  no  positive  proposal. 
On  the  other  hand,  he  asked  incidentally  whether  it 
mio;ht  not  be  desirable  to  consider  in  a  general  con- 
ference  the  attitude  to  be  adopted  by  the  various 
Governments  towards  the  Council.  Benedetti  replied 
that  such  a  course  would  only  hasten  the  Council's 
decision.  Bismarck  urged  that  a  conference  might  be 
useful,  even  were  it  no  longer  possible  to  influence  the 
Council,  and  were  the  question  to  be  considered  merely 
how  far  the  injurious  effects  of  its  decisions  on  the  peace 
of  Church  and  State  could  be  minimised. 

"  Benedetti  sent  a  report  of  this  informal  conversa- 
tion to  Paris,  representing  it  as  a  proposal  to  hold  a 
conference.  Daru  replied  in  a  despatch  which  pointed 
out  the  difficulty  of  carrying  that  idea  into  execution. 
Who  should  take  part  in  the  conference  ?  Eussia  main- 
tained such  an  unfriendly  attitude  towards  the  Catholic 
Church,  and  Italy  was  so  hostile  to  the  Curia  that  tliey 
could  hardly  join  in  any  common  action.  Spain  wished 
to  confine  herself  to  the  repression  of  any  eventual 
breach  of  the  laws  of  the  country,  and  England  ignored 
the  official  declarations  of  the  Roman  Church.  Many 
Powers  had  Concordats,  while  others  occupied  a  more 
independent  position  towards  the  Curia,  therefore,   in 


Mar.25,  i87o]        THE  ATTITUDE  OF  PRUSSIA  23 


that  respect  also,  an  understanding  would  be  difficult. 
Finally,  Daru  feared  that  Rome,  on  hearing  of  an 
intended  conference,  would  reply  with  a  fait  acconi'pli. 
For  these  reasons  he  declined  the  proposal.  He  would, 
however,  like  to  afford  the  other  Powers  an  opportunity 
of  supporting  the  measures  taken  by  France  on  her  own 
initiative.  In  case  he  received  a  negative  answer  to  his 
demand  that  France  should  be  represented  on  the 
Council  he  would  officially  communicate  to  the  other 
Governments  his  declaration  to  the  Secretary  of  State, 
Cardinal  Antonelli,  that  the  rights  and  interests  of  the 
State  would  be  defended  against  any  encroachment  on 
the  part  of  the  Spiritual  Power,  and  urge  them  to 
support  his  action  in  Rome.  Bismarck  thanked  Daru 
for  this  communication,  and  said  that  the  Govern- 
ment at  Berlin  (when  it  had  satisfied  itself  that  such 
a  course  on  the  part  of  France  was  calculated  to  pro- 
mote the  interests  of  Prussian  Catholics)  would 
endeavour  to  strengthen  the  impression  made  thereby  ; 
and  that  further  communications  were  awaited  with 
interest. 

"  The  French  Government  looks  forward  with  anxiety 
to  the  consequences  of  the  Council,  but  hesitates  to  take 
any  serious  and  decisive  measures,  and  is  not  disposed 
to  enter  upon  any  common  action  with  the  other 
Powers.  Bray,  at  Munich,  seemed  less  disinclined  to 
such  a  course.  He  thought  a  declaration  might  possibly 
be  made  that  the  Government  considered  the  oecumenical 
and  authoritative  character  of  the  Council  to  be  affected 
by  the  promulgation  of  the  dogma  of  infallibility  not- 
withstanding the  opposition  of  a  minority  of  the  Bishops, 
as  also  the  legal  position  assured  to  the  Prelates  under 
the  Concordats,  and  that  the  dogma  in  question  was  to 
be  regarded  as  null  and  void.     Bray  was  anxious  that 


24  ENGLISH "  LIBERALISM''  IN  IRELAND      [Mar.  25, 1870 

Austria  should  join  in  this  declaration.  Beust,  how- 
ever, would  not  consent,  as  he  believed  that  such  a 
declaration  would  merely  induce  the  Council  to  come  to 
an  unanimous  decision  which  would  then  be  binding 
upon  the  Governments.  An  unequivocal  attitude  of 
any  kind  is  not  to  be  expected  from  Vienna. 

"  If  the  Catholic  Governments  will  not  take  the 
initiative  the  question  remains  what  course  the  Bishops 
themselves  will  adopt.  We  hold  to  the  principle  of  not 
acting  directly  and  in  our  own  name  with  the  Eoman 
See,  while  at  the  same  time  powerfully  and  steadfastly 
supporting  every  effort  made  by  the  Catholics  them- 
selves, and  particularly  by  the  German  Bishops  to 
prevent  illegal  changes  being  made  in  the  constitution  of 
the  Catholic  Church,  and  to  preserve  both  Church  and 
State  from  a  disturbance  of  the  peace.  We  do  not  find 
ourselves  called  upon  to  take  up  a  prominent  attitude 
towards  the  Council ;  but  our  readiness  to  suj)port 
energetically  every  well-meant  effort  of  the  Catholic 
Powers,  whose  duty  it  is  to  intervene  in  the  first 
place,  or  of  the  Bishops  within  the  Council,  remains 
unaltered." 

Evening. — I  am  to  refer  to  England  and  the  way  in 
which  the  press  is  treated  there.  "  The  Liberals  always 
appeal  to  English  example  when  they  want  to  secure 
some  fresh  liberty  for  the  press.  Such  appeals,  it  is 
well  known,  rest  largely  upon  mistaken  notions.  It 
would  be  desiral)le  to  examine  more  closely  the  Bill 
which  has  just  been  passed  for  the  preservation  of  order 
in  Ireland.  What  would  public  opinion  in  Germany, 
and  particularly  what  would  the  people  of  Berlin  say,  if 
our  Government  could  proceed  against  any  of  our  demo- 
cratic journals,  even  against  the  most  violent,  according 
to  the  following  provisions,  and  that  too  without  even 


Mar.28,  i87o]         THE  (ECUMENICAL  COUNCIL  25 

a  state  of  minor  siege  ?  Then  quote  the  provisions,  and 
add  that  the  Bill  was  carried  by  a  large  majority."^ 

March  2'^th. — The  Chancellor  desires  that  the 
question  of  the  Council  should  be  again  dealt  with 
somewhat  to  the  following  effect :  "  The  press  has 
repeatedly  expressed  a  desire  to  know  what  position 
will  be  taken  hy  Prussia  towards  the  policy  of  the 
majority  of  the  Council,  and  several  proposals  have  been 
made  in  this  connection.  In  our  opinion  the  answer  to 
that  question  is  to  be  found  in  the  character  of  Prussia 
as  a  Protestant  Power.  In  that  capacity  Prussia  must 
leave  the  initiative  in  this  matter  to  the  Catholic 
Governments  who  are  more  directly  threatened.  If 
these  do  not  take  action  the  question  remains  what 
course  the  Bishops  who  form  the  minority  in  the 
Council  will  adopt,  a  question  which  will  be  answered 
by  the  immediate  future.  If  the  Catholic  Governments 
decide  to  take  steps  against  the  majority  of  the  Council, 
Prussia  ought  to  join  in  that  action  if  she  considers  it  to 
be  in  the  interests  of  her  Catholic  subjects.  But  it  is 
less  the  duty  of  Prussia  than  of  any  other  State  to  rush 

into   the    breach If  the    Bishops    defend    the 

constitution  of  their  Church,  their  episcopal  rights,  and 
peace  between  Church  and  State  in  a  fearless  and 
determined  protest  against  the  encroachments  of  the 
Ultramontane  party  in  the    Council,  it  may  then    be 

1  At  that  time  it  had  only  been  accepted  by  the  Committee  of  the 
House  of  Commons, — without  any  important  amendments  however,  and 
its  adoption  on  a  third  reading  was  assured.  It  is  true,  objections  were 
raised.  Gladstone  very  characteristically  observed  that  the  law  now  only 
empowered  the  Administration  to  proceed  against  incitements  to  treason- 
able action;  it  was,  however,  necessary  to  provide  for  the  punishment  of 
attempts  by  the  press  to  create  a  "  treasonable  state  of  mind  "  amongst 
the  people.  The  sole  concession  made  by  the  Government  was  that  the 
threatened  measures  should  not  be  put  into  execution  until  warning 
(once  only)  had  been  given. 


26  A  SCENE  IN  ST.  PETER'S  [Mar.  30, 1870 

confidently  hoped  that  the  Prussian   Government  will 
extend  to  them  a  powerful  support." 

Some  of  the  last  sentences  repeated  almost  literally 
the  conclusion  of  the  document  brought  to  me  by 
Abeken. 

March  SOth. — The  Count  sent  down  a  report  from 
Eome  for  use  in  the  press.     This  report  says  :    "  The 
tourists  who  visited   St.   Peter's  on  the  22nd   instant 
were  several  times  disturbed  by  a  dull  noise  which  rolled 
through  the  aisles  like  a  storm,  proceeding  from  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Council  Chamber.   Those  who  remained  a  little 
longer    saw    individual    Bishops,    with    anxious   looks, 
hurriedly  leave  the  church.     There  had  been  a  terrible 
scene   amongst   the  reverend  fathers.     The   theme  de 
errorihus,  which  was  laid  before  the  Council  about  three 
weeks  ago  and  then  returned  to  the  Commission,  was 
again    being    discussed    in    an    amended   form.     This 
discussion    had   now   lasted    five   or   six    (eight)   days. 
Strossmayer  criticised    one    of  the   paragraphs    of  the 
Proemium   which    characterised    Protestantism   as   the 
source  of  all  the  evils  which  now  infect  the  world  in  the 
forms    of    pantheism,    materialism,    and    atheism.     He 
declared  that  this   Proemium  contained  historical   un- 
truths, as  the  errors  of  our  time  were  much  older  than 
Protestantism.     The    Humanist   movement,  which  had 
been  imprudently  protected  by  the  highest  authority 
(Pope  Leo  X.)  was  in  part  responsible  for  them.     The 
Proemium  lacked  the  charity  due  to  Protestants.     (First 
uproar.)     It  was,  on  the  contrary,  amongst  Protestants 
that  Christianity  had  found  its  most  powerful  defenders, 
such  as    Leibnitz    and    Guizot,   whose   meditations   he 
should  wish   to  see  in    the  hands  of  every  Christian. 
(Renewed  and  increased  uproar,  while  closed  fists  are 
shown  at  the  speaker,  and  cries  are  heard  of  '  HcBreticus 


Mar.  31, 1870]    NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  FOR  THE  KING      27 

es  /  Taceas !  Descendas !  Omnes  te  condemnamus  ! ' 
and  now  and  then  'Ego  eum  non  condemno  !^)  This 
storm  also  subsided,  and  Strossmayer  was  able  to  proceed 
to  another  point,  namely,  the  question  to  which  the 
Bishops  referred  in  their  protest,  that  is  to  say,  that  a 
unanimous  vote  is  indispensable  for  decisions  on  dogma. 
Strossmayer's  remarks  on  this  theme  caused  the  indig- 
nation of  the  majority  to  boil  over.  Cardinal  Capalti 
interrupted  him.  The  assembly  raged  like  a  hurricane. 
After  a  wordy  war  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  duration 
between  the  speaker  and  the  Legates,  Strossmayer 
retired,  three  times  repeating  the  words  :  '  Protestor 
non  est  concilium.''  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  a  Congre- 
gation has  been  held  to-day  at  which  the  Bishop  of 
Halifax  and  others  are  understood  to  have  expressed 
views  similar  to  those  of  Strossmayer  and  that  no 
attempt  was  made  to  interrupt  them.  It  would  there- 
fore appear  as  if  the  storm  raised  against  the  Bishop  of 
Bosnia  were  a  party  manoeuvre  with  the  object  of 
ruining  the  most  important  of  the  Princes  of  the 
Church." 

March  2tlst. — Commissioned  by  the  Chief  to  tell 
Zitelmann  (an  official  of  the  Ministry  of  State  in  charge 
of  press  matters)  that  the  newspaper  extracts  which  his 
office  prepares  for  submission  to  the  King  (through  the 
Minister)  should  be  better  sifted  and  arranged.  Those 
that  are  suitable  for  the  King  are  to  be  gummed  on  to 
separate  sheets  and  detached  from  those  that  are  not 
suitable  for  him.  Particularistic  lies  and  stupidities, 
such  as  those  from  Kiel  of  the  25th  and  Cassel  of  the 
28th,  belong  to  the  latter  category  and  must  not  be  laid 
before  him.  If  he  sees  that  kind  of  thing  printed  in 
black  on  white  he  is  apt  to  believe  it.  He  does  not 
know  the  character  of  those  papers. 


28  THE  BRITISH  MINISTER  IN  MUNICH      [Apr.  i,  1870 

I  am  to  secure  the  insertion  in  the  press  of  the 
following  particulars,  which  have  reference  to  a  para- 
graph in  a  newspaper  which  the  Minister  did  not  name 
to  me.  It  is  a  woll-known  fact  that  Howard,  the  English 
representative  at  Munich,  although  he  is  married  to  a 
Prussian  lady  (Schulenberg),  exercises,  in  opposition  to 
the  views  of  his  own  Government,  a  decidedly  anti- 
Prussian  influence,  not  so  much  in  a  pro-Austrian  as  in 
a  Guelph  sense.  He  was  Minister  at  Hanover  up  to 
the  events  of  1866. 

April  1st. — The  Minister's  birthday.  When  I  was 
called  to  him  in  the  evening  his  room  was  perfumed 
with  flowers  presented  to  him.  He  lay  on  the  sofa, 
booted  and  spurred,  smoking  a  cigar,  and  reading 
newspaper  extracts.  After  receiving  my  instructions, 
I  offered  my  congratulations,  for  which  he  thanked  me, 
reaching  me  his  hand.  "I  hope,"  he  said,  "we  shall 
remain  together  for  a  very  long  time."  I  replied  that 
I  hoped  so  too,  that  I  could  find  no  words  to  say  how 
happy  I  felt  to  be  near  him,  and  to  be  able  to  work  for 
him.  "  Well,"  he  answered,  smiling,  '"'  it  is  not  always 
so  pleasant,  but  you  must  not  notice  every  little 
thing." 

My  instructions  referred  to  Lasker  and  Hoverbeck. 
They  were  as  follows  : — "  Just  take  Lippe  and  Lasker  as 
your  subject  for  once.  Lasker  has,  it  is  true,  been 
taken  to  task  for  one  of  his  latest  utterances  by 
Bennigsen,  the  chief  of  his  fraction,  but  it  can  do  no 
harm  to  deal  wdtli  the  affair  once  more  in  the  press — 
and  repeatedly.  He,  like  Lippe,  wants  the  Constitu- 
tion to  be  placed  above  our  national  requirements. 
Les  extremes  se  touchent.  Lippe  is  the  represertative 
of  the  Particularistic  Junkers  with  the  tendency  to 
absolutism,  Lasker  that  of  the  Parliamentary  Junkers 


Apr.4,  i87o]  LIBERAL  PARTICULARISM  29 

with  Particularistic  leanings.  Vincke,  who  was  just 
such  another,  succeeded,  with  his  eternal  dogmatism,  in 
ruining  and  nearly  destroying  a  great  party  in  a  few 
months,  notwithstanding  favourable  circumstances. 
Please  send  the  article  to  the  Norddeutsche  Allgemeine 
Zeitung  for  publication,  and  let  it  be  afterwards  repro- 
duced in  another  form  by  the  Literary  Bureau."  (....) 
April  Ath. — It  was  well  that  I  carried  out  the 
Minister's  orders  at  once.  On  being  called  to  him  this 
morning  he  received  me  with  the  words  :  "  I  asked  you 
recently  to  write  an  article  on  the  subject  of  Lippe  and 
Lasker.  Have  you  done  so  ? "  I  replied  "  Yes,  Excel- 
lency, and  it  has  already  appeared.  1  did  not  submit 
it  to  you  as  I  know  that  you  see  the  Norddeutsche 
daily."  He  then  said,  "  I  have  had  no  time  as  yet,  I 
will  look  it  up  immediately." 

In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  I  was  again  sent  for,  and 
on  appearing  before  him  the  Minister  said  :  "I  have 
now  read  the  article — it  was  amongst  the  extracts.  It 
is  excellent,  exactly  what  I  wished.  Let  it  now  be 
circulated  and  reproduced  in  the  provincial  journals. 
In  doing  so  it  may  be  further  remarked  that  if  Count 
Bismarck  were  to  charge  Lasker  and  his  fraction  with 
Particularism — I  do  not  mean  all  the  National  Liberals, 
but  principally  the  Prussians,  the  Lasker  group — the 
accusation  would  be  well  founded.  Lippe  has  also  laid 
down  the  principle  that  the  Prussian  Diet  is  independent 
of  the  Federal  Diet." 

The  Minister  then  continued:  "Here  is  the  Kdl- 
nische  Zeitung  talking  of  excitability.  It  alleges  that 
I  have  manifested  an  excitability  which  recalls  the 
period  of  '  conflict.'  That  is  not  true.  I  have  merely 
repelled  passionate  attacks  in  the  same  tone  in  which 
they  were  delivered,  according  to  the  usual  practice  in 


THE  OPPOSITION  BISHOPS  IN  ROME      [Apr.  6, 1870 


Parliament.  It  was  not  Bismarck  but  Lasker  and 
Hoverbeck  who  took  the  initiative.  They  began  again 
with  offensive  personal  attacks,  and  I  begged  of  them  in 
a  friendly  way  not  to  return  to  that,  style.  Ask 
whether  the  writer  had  not  read  the  report  of  the 
sitting,  as  it  showed  that  it  was  not  Count  Bismarck  who 
picked  this  quarrel.  Apart  from  its  pleadings  on  behalf 
of  the  claims  of  Denmark,  the  Kolnisclie  Zeitung  was 
a  sensible  newspaper.  What  had  Count  Bismarck  done 
to  it  that  it  should  allow  its  correspondents  to  send 
such  a  garbled  account  of  the  facts  ?  Moreover,  Bennig- 
sen  had  reprimanded  Lasker.  They  now  themselves 
recognised  that  the  tone  they  adopted  was  wrong,  as 
Lasker  came  to  me  on  Saturday  to  excuse  himself" 

April  6th. — Under  instructions  from  the  Minister  I 
dictated  the  following  paragraph  to  Doerr  for  circulation 
through  the  Literary  Bureau :  "  The  position  of  the 
Bishops  who  form  the  opposition  in  the  Council  does 
not  appear  to  be  satisfactory,  if  one  may  judge  from 
the  attitude  of  the  Catholic  Governments  and  particu- 
larly of  the  Vienna  Cabinet.  Probably  Count  Beust 
has  not  yet  made  up  his  mind  in  this  matter.  He 
seems  to  have  sent  somewhat  energetic  remonstrances 
to  the  Ambassador  in  Rome,  but  it  is  obvious  that 
Count  Trautmansdorf  has  delivered  them  in  a  very 
diluted  form.  According  to  certain  newspapers  the 
Austrian  Chancellor  has  also  endeavoured  to  bring  about 
a  common  action  of  the  Powers,  while  others  report 
an  incident  which  renders  it  doubtful  whether  any  such 
attempt  has  been  made.  The  French  also  maintain  an 
attitude  of  exceptional  prudence  and  reserve,  and  the 
Bishops  would  thus  appear  to  stand  well  nigh  alone.  . .  . 
The  initiative  must  come  from  the  Bishops  themselves." 

Between  the  6th  and  the  10th  of  April  I  wrote  an 


Apr.  6, 1870]    THE  QUESTION  OF  NORTH  SCHLESWIG         31 

article  on  the  question  of  North  Schleswig  from  the 
Minister  s  instructions.  This  attracted  great  attention 
on  its  publication  in  the  Norddcutsche  Allgemeine 
Zeitung,  principally  on  the  ground  that  there  seemed  to 
be  no  occasion  for  its  appearance  at  a  time  when  the 
political  horizon  was  absolutely  clear.  (It  may  possibly 
have  arisen  through  a  Russian  reminder  and  approval  of 
the  pretended  claims  of  Denmark.)  The  article  was  to 
the  folio  win  2;  effect :  "  It  is  a  wilful  falsehood  to 
maintain  that  according  to  the  peace  of  Prague  the 
population  of  North  Schleswig  has  to  decide  the  ques- 
tion of  the  frontier.  Prussia  alone,  and  no  one  else,  is 
authorised  to  do  that.  Moreover,  the  Treaty  of  Prague 
does  not  mention  North  Schleswig  at  all,  but  only 
refers,  quite  vaguely,  to  the  northern  districts  of 
Schleswig,  wdiich  is  something  quite  different.  The 
parties  to  the  treaty  were  not  called  upon,  and,  as  the 
wording  selected  by  them  proves,  never  intended  to  deal 
with  any  such  conception  as  '  North  Schleswig,'  and 
have  not  even  used  that  term.  But  the  Danes  and 
their  friends  have  so  long  and  so  persistently  en- 
deavoured to  make  the  world  believe  that  paragraph  5 
of  the  treaty  stipulated  for  the  cession  of  North 
Schleswig,  that  they  have  come  to  believe  it 
themselves. 

"The  Prussians  alone  have  to  decide  as  to  the 
extent  of  those  districts.  Prussia  has  no  further 
political  interest  in  negotiating  with  Denmark  if  the 
latter  is  not  content  w^ith  the  concessions  which  the 
former  is  prepared  to  make.  Finally,  only  Austria  has 
a  right  to  demand  that  the  matter  shall  be  settled  in 

any  form If  Prussia  and  Austria,"  so  concluded 

the   Minister's    directions,    "  now   come   to   an    under- 
standing as  to  cancelling  that  paragraph  of  the  treaty 


32  FRENCH  MANNERS  [Apr.  12, 1870 

— probably  on  the  basis  of  further  concessions  on  the 
part  of  Prussia — absolutely  no  one  has  any  right  to 
object."  Two  articles  were  to  be  written  on  this 
subject,  one  for  the  Norddeutsche  AUgemeine  Zeitung, 
in  which  the  reference  to  Austria  was  to  be  omitted, 
and  one  for  the  Spenersche  Zeitung,  which  was  to 
contain  it. 

April  12th. — The  Count  desires  to  have  an  article 
written  for  the  Kolnische  Zeitung,  part  of  which  he 
dictated  to  me.  It  ran  as  follows :  "  The  Constitu- 
tionnel  speaks  of  the  way  in  which  French  manners  are 
being  corrupted  by  foreign  elements,  and  in  this  con- 
nection it  mentions  Princess  Metternich  and  Madame 
Rimsky-Korsakow.  It  would  require  more  space  than 
we  can  afford  to  this  subject  to  show  in  its  true  light  all 
the  ignorance  and  prejudice  exhibited  by  the  writer  of 
this  article,  who  has  probably  never  left  Paris.  Princess 
Metternich  would  not  act  in  Vienna  as  she  is  repre- 
sented by  the  Constitutionnel  to  have  acted  in  Paris  ; 
and  Madame  Kimsky-Korsakow  is  not  a  leader  of 
society  in  St.  Petersburg.  The  contrary  must  be  the 
case.  Paris  must  be  responsible  if  the  two  ladies  so 
conduct  themselves,  and  exercise  such  an  influence  as 
the  French  journal  asserts  they  do.  As  a  matter  of 
fact  the  idea  that  Paris  is  the  home  and  school  of  good 
manners  is  now  only  to  be  met  with  in  other  countries, 
in  old  novels,  and  amongst  elderly  people  in  the  most 
remote  parts  of  the  provinces.  It  has  long  since  been 
observed,  and  not  in  European  Courts  alone,  that  the 
present  generation  of  Frenchmen  do  not  know  how  to 
behave  themselves.  In  other  circles  it  has  also  been 
remarked  that  the  young  Frenchman  does  not  compare 
favourably  with  the  youth  of  other  nations,  or  with 
those  few  countrymen  of  his  own  who  have,  far  from 


May28,  i87o]    FRANCE  '' A  DECADENT  NATION"  33 

Paris,  preserved  the  traditions  of  good  French  society. 
Travellers  who  have  visited  the  country  at  long  in- 
tervals are  agreed  in  declaring  that  the  forms  of  polite 
intercourse,  and  even  the  conventional  expressions  for 
which  the  French  language  so  long  served  as  a  model, 
are  steadily  falling  into  disuse.  It  is  therefore  quite 
conceivable  that  the  Empress  Eugenie,  as  a  sensitive 
Spaniard,  has  been  painfully  affected  by  the  tone  and 
character  of  Parisian  society,  but  it  would  show  a  lack 
of  judgment  on  her  part  if,  as  stated  by  the  ConstiUi- 
tionnel,  she  sought  for  the  origin  of  that  evil  abroad. 
But  we  believe  we  are  justified  in  directly  contradicting 
that  statement,  as  we  know  that  the  Empress  has  re- 
peatedly recommended  young  Germans  as  models  for 
the  youth  of  France.  The  French  show  themselves  to 
be  a  decadent  nation,  and  not  least  in  their  manners. 
It  will  require  generations  to  recover  the  ground  they 
have  lost.  Unfortunately,  so  far  as  manners  are  con- 
cerned, all  Europe  has  retrograded." 

From  the  13th  of  April  to  the  28th  of  May  I  did 
not  see  the  Minister.  He  was  unwell,  and  left  for 
Varzin  on  Easter  Eve.  It  was  said  at  the  Ministry  that 
his  illness  was  of  a  bilious  character,  and  was  due  to  the 
mortification  he  felt  at  the  conduct  of  the  Lasker 
fraction,  together  with  the  fact  that  he  had  spoilt  his 
digestion  at  a  dinner  at  Camphausen's. 

On  the  21st  of  May  the  Minister  returned  to  Berlin, 
but  it  was  not  until  seven  days  later  that  I  was  called 
to  him.  He  then  gave  me  the  following  instructions  : 
"  Brass  (the  Norddeutsche  Allgemeine  Zeitung)  must 
not  plead  so  strongly  for  the  Austrians  nor  speak  so 
warmly  of  the  Government  of  Napoleon.  In  the  case  of 
Austria  we  have  to  adopt  a  benevolently  expectant  atti- 
tude, yet  the  appointment  of  Klaczko  and  his  connec- 

VOL.   I  D 


34  BUCHERS  MISSION  TO  SPAIN         [June  8, 1870 

tion  with  the  Ministry  is  for  us  a  suspicious  symptom. 
The  appointment  of  Grammont  to  the  French  Foreign 
Office  is  not  exactly  agreeable  to  us.  The  Czechs  must 
be  treated  with  all  possible  consideration  ;  but,  on  the 
other  hand,  we  must  deal  with  the  Poles  as  with 
enemies." 

I  afterwards  asked  as  to  his  health.  He  said  he  still 
felt  weak,  and  would  not  have  left  Varzin  if  things  had 
not  looked  so  critical  in  Parliament.  As  soon  as  matters 
were  once  more  in  order  there,  he  would  be  off  again,  if 
possible  on  an  early  day,  in  order  to  undertake  a  cure 
with  Karlsbad  water,  going  to  some  seaside  resort. 

On  being  called  to  the  Count  on  Whit  Sunday  I  found 
him  highly  indignant  at  the  statement  of  a  correspondent 
of  the  Kolnische  Zeitung,  who  reported  that  there  was 
a  scarcity  of  labour  in  the  Spandau  cartridge  factory. 
"  Therefore  unusual  activity  in  the  preparation  of  war 
material !  "  he  said.  "  If  I  were  to  have  paid  two  visits 
to  the  King  at  Ems  it  would  not  cause  so  much  anxiety 
abroad  as  thoughtless  reports  of  this  kind.  Please  go 
to  Wehrmann  and  let  him  ascertain  at  the  Ministry  of 
War  if  they  are  responsible  for  that  article,  and  if 
possible  get  them  to  insert  a  correction  in  the  Kolnische 
Zeitung  or  in  the  Norddeutsche,  as  it  must  appear  in 
an  influential  paper." 

A  diary  entry  on  an  undated  slip  of  paper,  but 
written  in  May  :  "  Bohlen  yesterday  bantered  Bucher 
about  his  '  Easter  mission,'  which  appears  to  have  been 
to  Spain." 

On  the  8th  of  June  the  Minister  again  left  Berlin 
for  Varzin. 

Immediately  on  the  commencement  of  the  difficulties 
with  France  respecting  the  election  to  the  Spanish 
throne  of  the  Hereditary  Prince  of  HohenzoUern,  letters 


July7,  i87o]     WORKING  UP  THE  SPANISH  QUESTION         35 

and  telegrams  began  to  arrive  which  were  forwarded  by 
Bucher  under  instructions  from  the  Chief.  These  con- 
sisted in  part  of  short  paragraphs  and  drafts  of  articles, 
as  well  as  some  complete  articles  which  only  required  to 
be  retouched  in  the  matter  of  style,  or  to  have  references 
inserted  with  regard  to  matters  of  fact.  These  directions 
accumulated,  but  owing  to  the  spirit  and  energy  inspired 
by  the  consciousness  that  we  were  on  the  eve  of  great 
events,  and  that  it  was  an  honour  to  co-operate  in  the 
work,  they  were  promptly  dealt  with,  almost  all  being 
disposed  of  on  the  day  of  their  arrival.  I  here  repro- 
duce some  of  these  instructions,  the  order  of  the  words 
and  expressions  in  the  deciphered  telegrams  being 
slightly  altered,  while  the  remainder  are  given  exactly  as 
they  reached  me. 

July  7th,  evening. — A  telegram  to  me  from  Varzin  : 
"  The  semi-official  organs  should  indicate  that  this  does 
not  seem  to  be  the  proper  time  for  a  discussion  of  the 
succession  to  the  Spanish  throne,  as  the  Cortes,  who  are 
alone  entitled  to  decide  the  question,  have  not  yet 
spoken.  German  Governments  have  always  respected 
Spanish  independence  in  such  matters,  and  will  do  so  in 
future,  as  they  have  no  claim  or  authority  to  interfere 
and  lay  down  regulations  for  the  Spaniards.  Then,  in 
the  non-official  press,  great  surprise  should  be  expressed 
at  the  presumption  of  the  French,  who  have  discussed 
the  question  very  fully  in  the  Chamber,  speaking  as  if 
that  assembly  had  a  right  to  dispose  of  the  Spanish 
throne,  and  apparently  forgetting  that  such  a  course 
was  as  offensive  to  Spanish  national  pride  as  it  was  con- 
ducive to  the  encouragement  of  Republican  tendencies. 
This  may  be  safely  construed  into  a  further  proof  of  the 
false  direction  which  the  personal  regime  is  taking.  It 
would  appear  as  if  the  Emperor,  who  has  instigated  this 

D  2 


36  FRANCE  AND  SPAIN  [July  8, 1870 

action,  wanted  to  see  the  outbreak  of  a  new  war  of 
succession." 

A  letter  from  Buclier,  which  was  handed  to  me  on 
the  evening  of  the  8th  of  July,  further  developed  the 
idea  contained  in  the  last  sentence  of  the  foregoinsf 
telegram.  This  letter  ran :  "  Previous  to  1868 
Eugenie  was  pleased  to  play  the  part  of  an  obedient 
subject  to  Isabella,  and  since  the  September  revolution 
that  of  a  gracious  protectress.  She  unquestionably 
arranged  the  farce  of  the  abdication,  and  now,  in  her 
rage,  she  incites  her  consort  and  the  Ministers.  As  a 
member  of  a  Spanish  party  she  would  sacrifice  the  peace 
and  welfare  of  Europe  to  the  intrigues  and  aspirations 
of  a  corrupt  dynasty. 

"  Please  see  that  this  theme,  a  new  war  of  succession 
in  the  nineteenth  century,  is  thoroughly  threshed  out  in 
the  press.  The  subject  is  inviting,  especially  in  the 
hands  of  a  correspondent  disposed  to  draw  historical 
parallels,  and  more  particularly  parallels  ex  averso. 
Have  the  French  not  had  experience  enough  of  Spain 
with  Louis  XIV.  and  Napoleon,  and  with  the  Due  d'An- 
gouleme's  campaign  for  the  execution  of  the  decrees  of 
the  Verona  Congress  ?  Have  they  not  excited  sufficient 
hatred  by  all  those  wars  and  by  the  Spanish  marriage 
of  1846? 

"  Bring  personal  influence  to  bear  as  far  as  possible 
on  the  editors  who  have  been  intimidated  by  the  Stock 
Exchange,  representing  to  them  that  if  the  German 
press  takes  up  a  timid  and  hesitating  attitude  in  presence 
of  the  rhodomontades  of  the  French,  the  latter  will  become 
more  insolent  and  put  forward  intolerable  demands 
in  other  questions  affecting  Germany  still  mor^  closely. 
A  cool  and  determined  attitude,  with  a  touch  of  contempt 
for  those  excited  gentlemen  who  would  like  to  slaughter 


Julys,  i87o]     THE  HOHENZOLLERN  CANDIDATURE  37 

somebody,  but  do  not  exactly  know  whom,  would  be 
the  most  fitting  means  for  putting  an  end  to  this  uproar 
and  preventing  serious  complications." 

Bucher  added  :  "  Protestants  were  still  sent  to  the 
galleys  under  the  Spanish  Government  which  was  over- 
thrown in  1868." 

Another  communication  of  Bucher's  from  Varzin  of 
the  same  date  runs  :  "  The  precedents  furnished  by 
Louis  Philippe's  refusal  of  the  ^Belgian  throne  on  behalf 
of  the  Due  de  Nemours  in  1831,  on  the  ground  that  it 
would  create  uneasiness,  and  by  the  protest  which 
England  would  have  entered  against  the  marriage  of  the 
Due  de  Montpensier  to  the  sister  of  Queen  Isabella,  are 
neither  of  them  very  applicable,  as  the  Prince  of 
Hohenzollern  is  not  a  son  of  King  William,  but  only 
a  remote  connection,  and  Spain  does  not  border  on 
Prussia." 

The  following  was  a  third  subject  received  from 
Varzin  on  the  same  day  :  "Is  Spain  to  inquire  sub- 
missively at  the  Tuileries  whether  the  King  whom  she 
desires  to  take  is  considered  satisfactory  ?  Is  the  Spanish 
throne  a  French  dependency  ?  It  has  already  been  stated 
in  the  Prussian  speech  from  the  throne  that  our  sole 
desire  in  connection  with  the  events  in  Spain  was  that 
the  Spanish  people  should  arrive  at  an  independent 
decision  for  the  maintenance  of  their  own  prosperity  and 
power.  In  France,  where  on  other  occasions  so  much  is 
said  of  national  independence,  the  attempt  of  the 
Spanish  people  to  decide  for  themselves  has  immediately 
revived  the  old  diplomatic  traditions  which  led  to  the 
Spanish  war  of  succession  160  years  ago," 

On  the  same  day,  the  8th  of  July,  a  telegram  was  also 
received  from  the  Chancellor  by  the  Secretary  of  State, 
and  it  was  handed  to  me  for  my  information.    It  was  to 


38  THE  DUC  DE  GRAMMONTS  SPEECH    [July 9, 1870 

the  following  effect :  "I  have  now  before  me  in  the 
despatch  of  Count  Solms  the  official  text  of  the  Due  de 
Grammont's  speech,  and  I  find  his  language  more  brusque 
and  presumptuous  than  I  had  anticipated.  I  am  in 
doubt  whether  that  is  due  to  stupidity  or  the  result  of  a 
decision  taken  beforehand.  The  probability  of  the  latter 
alternative  seems  to  be  confirmed  by  the  noisy  demon- 
strations which  will  most  likely  render  it  impossible  for 
them  to  draw  back.  I  am  reluctant  to  protest  officially 
against  Grammont's  speech  on  international  grounds, 
but  our  press  should  attack  it  very  severely,  and  this 
should  be  done  in  as  many  newspapers  as  possible." 

July  ^th. — A  telegram  from  Bucher  to  the  Secretary 
of  State,  saying  that  the  direction  to  the  press  to  deal 
with  Grammont's  speech  in  very  strong  language  is  not 
to  apply  to  the  Norddeutsche  AUgemeine  Zeitung. 

Another  telegram  of  the  same  date  to  Thile,  which 
he  brought  to  me  :  "  Any  one  intending  to  summon  a 
Congress  to  deal  with  a  debatable  question  ought  not 
first  to  threaten  a  warlike  solution  in  case  the  opposite 
party  should  not  agree  to  his  wishes." 

Further,  the  Secretary  of  State  handed  me  a  tele- 
gram from  Berlin  to  the  Chancellor,  which  was  returned 
by  the  latter  with  comments.  I  was  to  get  these 
circulated  in  the  non-official  journals.  The  telegram 
was  to  the  effect  that  Grammont  had  stated,  in  reply  to 
an  interpellation  by  Cochery,  that  Prim  had  offered  the 
Spanish  throne  to  the  Hereditary  Prince  of  Hohenzollern, 
(Remark  :  "  He  can  do  nothing  of  the  kind.  Only  the 
Cortes,")  and  that  the  Prince  had  accepted  it.  (Remark  : 
"  He  will  only  declare  himself  after  he  has  been 
elected.")  The  Spanish  people  has  not  yet,  however, 
expressed  its  wishes.  (Remark  :  "  That  is  the  main 
point.")     The  French  Government  do  not  recognise  the 


July  9, 1870]  INSTRUCTIONS  ON  THE  SPANISH  QUESTION  39 

negotiations  in  question.  (Remark :  "  There  are  no 
negotiations  excepting  those  between  Spain  and  the 
eventual  candidates  for  the  throne.")  Grammont  there- 
fore begged  that  the  discussion  might  be  postponed, 
as  it  was  purposeless  for  the  moment.  (Remark  : 
"  Very.")  The  French  Government  would  maintain 
the  neutral  attitude  which  they  had  observed  up  to  the 
present,  but  would  not  permit  a  foreign  Power  to  place 
a  Prince  upon  the  Spanish  throne,  ("  Hardly  any 
power  entertains  such  an  intention,  except  perhaps 
France,")  and  endanger  the  honour  and  dignity  of 
France.  They  trusted  to  the  wisdom  of  the  Germans, 
(Remark :  "  Has  nothing  to  do  with  it,")  and  to  the 
friendship  of  the  Spanish  people.  (Remark  :  "  That  is 
the  main  point.")  Should  they  be  deceived  in  their 
hopes  they  would  do  their  duty  without  hesitation  or 
weakness.     (Remark  :  "  'We  also.") 

Bucher  sent  me  a  whole  packet  of  sketches  for 
articles  : — 

1.  "If  Spain  records  her  decision  to  establish  a 
government  which  shall  be  peaceful,  and  tolerant  in 
religious  matters,  and  which  may  be  expected  to  be 
friendly  to  Germany,  who  is  also  devoted  to  peace,  can 
it  be  in  our  interest  to  prevent  the  execution  of  that 
resolve,  and  for  that  purpose  to  take  measures  of 
doubtful  legality?  Shall  we,  because  of  a  threat  of 
war  made  in  pursuit  of  an  arbitrary  and  dynastic 
object,  take  steps  to  frustrate  a  reorganisation  of 
Spanish  affairs  advantageous  to  Germany  ?  Is  it  not 
rather  an  act  of  insolent  presumption  on  the  part  of 
France  to  address  such  a  demand  to  Germany  ?  Ob- 
viously France  lacks  either  the  courage  or  the  means 
to  enforce  her  views  at  Madrid  ;  and  it  appears  from 
Grammont's  speech    of    the    4th   of   July  that  in   her 


40  FRENCH  THREA  TS  [July  9, 1 870 


anger  at  what  has  happened  in  Spain  she  is  prepared 
to  throw  herself  upon  Germany  in  a  blind  fit  of  rage. 
That  speech  is  to  a  certain  extent  a  declaration  of  war 
against  the  person  of  the  Prince  of  Hohenzollern,  in 
case  he  should  decide  to  accept  the  offer  of  the  Spanish 
people.     France  demands  that  Prussia  shall  undertake 
the  office  of  policeman  in  case  a  German  Prince  who 
has  attained  his  majority  shows  a  disposition   to  meet 
the   wishes  of   the   Spaniards.      For  a  North  German 
Government  to  interfere  with  a  citizen  who  should  wish 
to  exercise  his  right  to  emigrate  and  adopt  the  Spanish 
nationality  would  raise  a  very  questionable  point  of  law 
from    a    constitutional    standpoint.       Even    if    such    a 
power  existed,  the  dignity  of  Germany  would  demand 
that  it  should  only  be  applied  in  her   own  interests. 
The  calm  consideration  of  those  interests  is  not  in   the 
least  affected  by  the  warlike  threats  of  a  neighbouring 
State,    which,    instead    of    arguments,    appeals    to   its 
400,000  soldiers.     If  France  lays  claim  in  this  manner 
to  the  guardianship    of   adjoining   nations,   the   main- 
tenance of  peace  can  for  the  latter  be   only  a  question 
of  time,  which  may  be   decided  at  any  moment.     On 
Grammont's  appointment  to  the  French  Foreign  Office 
it  was  feared  in  many  quarters  that  the  choice  by  the 
Emperor  Napoleon  of  a  statesman  who  was  only  re- 
markable for  his  personal  impetuosity  and  his  hostility 
to  Germany   indicated  a  desire  to   secure  for  himself 
greater  liberty  in  breaking  the  peace.     Unfortunately 
the  haughty  and  aggressive  tone  of  the  Duke's  speech 
is  not  calculated  to  remove   the  apprehensions  enter- 
tained at  that  time.     He  is  not  a  minister  of  peace,  but 
rather   the   instrument   of    a    personal    policy    which 
shrinks  from  no  responsibility.     In  itself  the  question 
as  to  who  is  to  be  the  ruler  of  Spain  is  not  one  for 


July  9, 1870]  THE  SPANISH  BOURBONS  41 

which  Germany  would  go  to  war.  But  the  French 
demand  that  the  German  Government,  in  opposition  to 
its  own  interests,  should  put  artificial  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  the  Spaniards  manifests  a  depth  of  self-conceit 
which  scarcely  any  government  amongst  the  indepen- 
dent States  of  Europe  could  submit  to  at  the  present 
day.  We  seek  no  quarrel,  but  if  any  one  tries  to  force 
one  upon  us  he  will  find  us  ready  to  go  through  with  it 
to  the  bitter  end." 

2.  In  another  article  (there  was  too  much  material 
to  be  disposed  of  in  one)  the  following  considerations 
were  to  be  developed.  This  was  not  to  be  communicated 
to  the  official  organs,  but  either  to  the  Kolnische 
Zeitung  or  the  Spenersclie  Zeitung,  while  it  was  to  be 
given  in  a  curtailed  form  to  Hahn's  Literary  Bureau. 
"  If  the  candidature  of  Alphonso  had  up  to  the  present 
any  prospect  of  success  in  Spain,  it  would  have  been 
most  prejudicially  affected  by  the  foolish  uproar  raised 
in  France,  which  stamped  it  with  a  French  official 
character.  No  worse  service  could  be  done  to  that 
Prince  than  to  represent  him  as  a  French  candidate. 
Montpensier  had  already  suffered  under  the  reproach 
that  he  was  a  Frenchman.  The  Bourbons  had  formerly 
been  imposed  upon  the  Spaniards,  and  had  proved 
themselves  no  blessing.  The  manner  in  which  the 
succession  to  the  throne  is  now  discussed  in  France 
would  offend  a  nation  even  less  proud  than  the 
Spaniards." 

3.  "Between  the  years  1866  and  1868,  and  par- 
ticularly before  the  fall  of  Isabella,  France  schemed  a 
great  deal  against  Germany  with  Austria,  Italy,  and  also 
with  Spain.  Those  intrigues  were  set  at  nought  by  the 
Kevolution  of  September,  to  which  Count  Bismarck 
referred  when  he  said  at  that  time  in  Parliament  that 


42  "  THE  BRITISH  ALLIES  OF  SPAIN''     [July  9, 1870 

the  danger  of  war,  wliicli  had  been  very  imminent,  had 
been  dispelled  by  an  unforeseen  event.  So  long  as 
France  maintains  her  warlike  intentions  towards 
Germany,  she  will  desire  to  see  on  the  Spanish  throne 
a  dynasty  favourable  to  those  schemes,  possibly  an 
Ultramontane  one,  as  in  case  of  an  attack  on  Germany 
it  would  make  a  difference  of  about  50,000  men  to 
France  whether  she  had  a  benevolent,  or  at  least  a 
neutral  neighbour  on  the  other  side  of  the  Pyrenees  or 
one  whose  attitude  might  be  suspected.  It  is  true  that 
France  has  nothing  to  fear  directly  from  Spain  if  the 
French,  who  for  the  past  eighty  years  have  been  unable  to 
make  up  their  own  minds,  and  who  cannot  govern  them- 
selves, would  give  up  the  attempt  to  play  the  part  of 
tutor  to  other  nations.  Let  the  period  1848-1850  in 
France  be  compared  with  that  of  1868-1870  in  Spain, 
and  the  comparison  will  not  be  to  the  advantage  of  the 
nation  qui  niarche  d  la  tete  de  la  civilisation. 

4.  "  England  is  accustomed  to  look  upon  the 
Peninsula  as  a  dependency  of  her  own,  and  doubtless 
believes  that  her  influence  can  be  more  easily  made  to 
prevail  in  a  state  of  insecurity  than  under  the  rule  of  a 
powerful  dynasty.  It  is  not  wise  of  the  English  to  recall 
certain  incidents  of  Spanish  history,  a  course  in  which 
they  are  followed  by  the  French  newspapers.  The 
Spanish  version  of  the  history  of  the  wars  against  the 
First  Napoleon  is  very  different  to  the  English  one.  In 
Buen  Retiro  every  traveller  is  shown  the  site  of  a  once 
prosperous  porcelain  manufactory,  which  was  needlessly 
burned  to  the  ground  by  the  British  allies  of  Spain." 

5.  Still  another  subject.  "  Very  pleased  with  the 
article  in  the  Sjpenersclie  Zeitung  (this  was  addressed  to 
me).  Please  again  call  attention  in  a  somewhat  similar 
manner  to  the  impetuosity  of  Grammont  therein  referred 


July  lo,  1870]  PRIM'S  SPEECH  43 

to.  What  is  the  real  ground  for  all  this  alarm  ?  A 
paragraph  in  the  Agence  Havas  to  the  effect  that  the 
affair  had  been  settled  without  the  concurrence  of  the 
Cortes.  It  is  probable  that  the  French  Government 
itself  had  this  paragraph  inserted,  and  it  was,  moreover, 
concocted  in  complete  ignorance  of  the  Spanish  Constitu- 
tion and  of  the  laws  governing  the  election  of  a  King. 
This,  which  was  the  only  new  feature,  was  a  barefaced 
invention.  It  had  already  been  mentioned  in  all  the 
papers  that  Prim's  speech  of  the  1 1th  of  June  referred 
to  the  Prince  of  Hohenzollern,  and  that  had  caused  no 
excitement  in  France.  Is  the  present  agitation  then  a 
coup  monte  %  Does  the  French  Government  insist  upon 
a  '  row '  ?  Has  Louis  Napoleon  chosen  Grammont  in 
order  to  pick  a  quarrel  with  us  ?  At  any  rate  he  has  been 
unskilful  in  his  treatment  of  this  question.  The  general 
moral  to  be  drawn  as  often  as  possible  is  :  the  French 
Government  is,  after  all,  not  quite  so  shrewd  as  people 
believe.  The  French  have  succeeded  in  many  things 
with  the  assistance  of  300,000  soldiers,  and  owing  to 
that  success  they  are  regarded  as  immensely  clever.  Is 
that  really  so?   Circumstances  show  that  it  is  not." 

Julij  10th,  evening. — Received  a  further  series  of 
sketches  and  drafts  for  articles  from  Bucher,  who  acts  as 
the  mouthpiece  of  the  Chancellor's  views  and  intentions. 
1.  For  the  Sj)enersche  or  Kolnische  : — "  Those 
foreign  Powers  that  are  not  concerned  in  the  differences 
respecting  the  Spanish  throne  are  as  desirous  to  maintain 
peace  as  Germany  herself.  Their  influence  will,  how- 
ever, be  neutralised  by  Grammont's  ill-considered  threats. 
Should  the  German  Governments  consider  the  security 
of  our  frontier  to  be  seriously  threatened,  they  would 
scarcely  come  to  a  decision  without  convoking 
Parliament." 


44  CIPHER  DESPATCHES  [July  10,1870 

2.  "  The  French  are  running  amuck  like  a  Malay 
who  has  got  into  a  rage  and  rushes  through  the  streets 
dagger  in  hand,  foaming  at  the  mouth,  stabbing  every- 
one who  happens  to  cross  his  path.  If  France  is  mad 
enough  to  regard  Germany  as  a  fit  object  for  a  vicarious 
whipping,  nothing  will  restrain  her,  and  the  result  will 
be  that  she  will  herself  receive  a  personal  castigation." 

3.  "  The  semi-official  journals  in  Paris  pretend  that 
attention  has  been  attracted  there  by  the  numerous 
cipher  despatches  exchanged  between  Berlin  and 
Madrid,  and  that  they  have  been  clever  enough  to 
decipher  them.  We  do  not  know  whether  many  de- 
spatches have  passed  between  the  two  capitals  mentioned, 
but  we  remember  a  communication  which  was  made  to 
Parliament  some  time  ago  by  Count  Bismarck,  according 
to  which  the  cipher  system  of  our  Foreign  Office  is 
based  on  a  vocabulary  of  about  20,000  words,  each  one 
of  which  is  represented  by  a  group  of  figures  arbitrarily 
chosen.  It  is  impossible  to  '  decipher '  such  a  system  in 
the  same  way  as  those  based  on  an  altered  alphabet  and 
other  old  methods.  In  order  to  read  such  a  despatch,  it 
is  essential  to  have  the  vocabulary.  Does  the  cleverness 
on  which  the  Parisians  pride  themselves  consist  in 
having  stolen  the  key  to  our  ciphers  ?  This  would  be 
in  contradiction  with  the  original  statement  that  the 
Prince  of  Hohenzollern's  candidature  first  became  known 
through  a  communication  from  Prim.  It  would,  there- 
fore, appear  that  the  official  press  wants  to  clear  the 
Government  of  the  reproach  of  incapacity  by  a  sub- 
sequent invention,  acting  on  the  maxim  that  it  is 
better  to  be  taken  for  a  rogue  than  a  fool." 

4.  "  According  to  a  private  telegram  from  Paris  to 
the  Berliner  Boer  sen  Zeitung,  our  Ambassador  there, 
together  with  the  second  Secretary  of  Embassy,  left  for 


July  12,1870]  THE  EMPRESS  EUGENIE  45 

Ems  on  receipt  of  a  Note  delivered  to  him  immediately- 
after  the  Cabinet  Council  at  Saint  Cloud.  We  have 
made  inquiries  in  the  proper  quarter  as  to  the  accuracy 
of  this  report,  and  have  received  the  following  answer  : 
Note  delivered.  '  Not  a  shadow  of  truth.  Werther's 
journey  was  decided  upon  and  announced  in  Paris  long 
before  the  agitation  began.'  " 

5.  "As  was  already  known.  Prim  intended  this 
year,  as  on  previous  occasions,  to  visit  Vichy.  This 
would  have  led  to  a  meeting  between  himself  and  the 
Emperor  Napoleon  and  a  discussion  of  the  succession  to 
the  Spanish  throne.  It  is  also  reported  that  the  Prince 
of  Hohenzollern  was  not  indisposed  to  try  confidentially 
to  bring  about  an  understanding  with  the  Emperor. 
All  this  has  been  rendered  impossible  by  the  abrupt 
tone  of  the  Due  de  Crammont.  As  Prim's  visit  to 
Vichy  has  long  since  been  announced  in  the  newspapers, 
and  the  near  relationship  as  well  as  the  personal  friend- 
ship which  hitherto  existed  between  the  Prince  of 
Hohenzollern  and  the  Emperor  rendered  both  meetings 
probable,  it  is  hard  to  avoid  the  suspicion  that  the 
French  Government,  dreading  insurmountable  domestic 
difficulties,  desires  to  inflame  French  vanity  in  favour 
of  a  war,  which  would  at  the  same  time  promote  the 
dynastic  views  of  the  Empress  Eugenie." 

July  12th. — Received  from  Secretary  Wollmann  a 
note  from  Bucher  in  Varzin  which  is  intended  for  me. 
It  has  been  sent  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  in  order  that 
he  should  say  whether  there  is  any  objection  to  its 
being  used  in  the  press.  He  has  no  objection,  and 
so  it  goes  to  the  newspapers.  It  runs  as  follows : 
"The  Imparcial  publishes  a  letter  from  Paris  to  the 
efi'ect  that  the  furious  article  in  the  Co7istitutionnel 
reproaching    Prince    Hohenzollern    with    his    relation- 


46  PRINCE  LEOPOLD'S  DECISION         [July  13, 1870 

sliip    to   Murat,    has   been    revised    by    the    Emperor 
hiniself." 

In   the    evening    the    Minister    returned.     He    is 
dressed  in  plain  clothes  and  looks  very  well. 

July   ISth. — Called  early   to  the  Chief.     I  am  to 
wait  until  a  statement  appears  in  the  press  to  the  effect 
that  the  renunciation  of  Prince  Hohenzollern  w^as  in 
consequence  of  pressure  from  Ems,  and  then  to  contra- 
dict  it.     "  In   the   meantime    (said   the   Minister)  the 
Norddeutsche  should  only  say  that  the  Prince's  present 
decision  has  not  been   altogether  unexpected.     When 
he  accepted  the  throne  which  had  been  oflfered  to  him 
he  had  obviously  not  foreseen  that  his  decision  would 
occasion  so  much  excitement  in  Paris.     For  more  than 
thirty  years  past   the   best   relations  existed  between 
Napoleon  and  the  Hohenzollern  family.     Prince  Leopold 
could  not,  therefore,  have  apprehended  any  antipathy 
to  his  candidature  on  the  part  of  the  Emperor.     As  his 
candidature  suddenly  became  known  after  the  Cortes 
had  been  adjourned  till  November,  it  may  well  have 
been  assumed  that  there  would  be  time  enough  in  the 
interval  to  sound  the  Emperor  as  to  his  views.     Now 
that  this   assumption    (here    the    Chancellor  began   to 
speak  more  slowly  as  if  he  were  dictating),  which,  up 
to  the  acceptance  of  the  Crown  by  the  Prince,  was  still 
quite  legitimate,  had  proved  to  be  partly  erroneous,  it 
was  scarcely  probable  that  the  Prince  would,   on  his 
own  responsibility,  be  disposed  to  cope  single  handed 
with  the  storm  which  his  decision  had  raised,  and  might 
yet  raise,  in  view  of  the  apprehensions  of  war  of  the 
whole  European  world,  and  the  influence  brought  to 
bear  upon  him  from    London   and   Brussels.     Even  a 
portion    of  the   responsibility    of  involving   the  great 
European  nations,  not  only  in  one  war,  but  possibly  in 


July  13, 1870]     GRAMMONT'S  ''AGGRESSIVE  TONE''  47 

a  series  of  wars,  would  weigh  very  heavily  upon  a  man 
who  could  not  claim  to  have  assumed  it  as  part  of  the 
duty  of  the  Eoyal  office  which  he  had  already  accepted. 
That  was  more  than  could  well  be  expected  of  a  Prince 
who  only  occupied  a  private  position.  It  was  the 
offensive  tone  of  Grammont  that  alone  prevented 
Prussia  from  exercising  her  influence  with  the  Prince. 

The  following  is  to  be  published  in  other  papers  : 
"  It  cannot  be  denied  that  a  Spanish  Government 
disposed  to  promote  the  cause  of  peace  and  to  abstain 
from  conspiring  with  France  would  be  of  considerable 
value  to  us.  But  if,  some  fourteen  days  ago,  the 
Emperor  Napoleon  had  addressed  himself  confidentially 
to  Berlin,  or  indicated  that  the  affair  was  attracting 
attention,  Prussia,  instead  of  adopting  an  indifferent 
attitude,  would  have  co-operated  in  pacifying  public 
opinion  in  Paris.  The  situation  has  been  entirely 
altered  through  the  aggressive  tone  of  Grammont's 
speech,  and  the  direct  demands  addressed  to  the  King, 
who  is  staying  in  privacy  at  Ems  for  the  benefit  of  his 
health,  unaccompanied  by  a  single  Minister.  His 
Majesty  rightly  declined  to  accede  to  these  demands. 
That  incident  has  created  so  much  indignation  in 
Germany,  that  many  people  feel  disappointed  at  Prince 
Leopold's  renunciation.  At  any  rate,  the  confidence  in 
the  peaceful  intentions  of  France  has  been  so  thoroughly 
shaken  that  it  will  take  a  considerable  time  to  restore 
it.  If  commerce  and  trade  have  been  injured  by  the 
evidence  which  has  shown  us  what  a  den  of  brio;ands 
we  have  to  deal  with  in  France,  the  people  of  that 
country  must  fasten  the  responsibility  on  the  personal 
regime  under  which  they  at  present  live." 

The  Minister  also  desires  it  to  be  incidentally 
remarked  in  the  non -official  press  that  of   the  South 


48      THE  CRISIS  AND  THE  GERMAN  COURTS   [July  15, 1870 

German  Courts  those  of  Munich  and  Karlsruh  had  given 
the  most  satisfactory  declarations  in  this  affair,  while  on 
the  other  hand  that  of  Stuttgart  had  expressed  itself 
evasively. 

Finally,  I  am  to  communicate  to  one  of  the  local 
papers  that  Count  Bismarck  has  been  sent  for  to  Ems 
to  consult  with  the  King  as  to  summoning  Parliament. 
Breaking  off  a  cure  which  he  was  undergoing,  the 
Chancellor  has  remained  in  Berlin  in  order  to  await 
there  the  further  instructions  of  his  Majesty,  or 
ultimately  to  return  to  Varzin.  The  Count  then  added  : 
"  Later  on  I  will  call  for  you  several  times,  as  there  is 
something  more  to  be  prepared  for  the  Norddeutsche. 
We  shall  now  be  shortly  interrupted."  The  Crown 
Prince  arrived  five  minutes  afterwards  and  had  a  long 
interview  with  the  Minister. 

July  lith. — Our  newspapers  to  call  attention  to  the 
loyal  attitude  of  Wiirtemberg,  "  which  in  consequence 
of  a  misunderstanding  has  been  represented  in  some 
journals  as  evasive." 

July  15th. — I  am  to  send  the  following  dementi  to 
Wolfs  Telegraphic  Agency  for  circulation  :  "  The  news 
published  by  the  Spenersche  Zeitung  respecting  the 
opening  of  Parliament  is  not  quite  accurate.  It  was 
proposed  a  week  ago  by  the  Chancellor  while  in  Varzin 
that  it  should  be  convoked  as  soon  as  the  Government 
Bills  were  ready  for  submission  to  it.  His  Majesty 
shares  this  view,  and  the  Federal  Council  has  accordingly 
been  summoned  for  to-morrow,  Saturday,  morning  to 
consider  those  measures." 

In  the  evening  the  Chancellor  dictated  an  article  for 
the  Kreiizzeitung  on  the  confusion  by  the  public 
between  personal  and  private  proceedings  of  the  King 
and  his  o£S.cial  acts.     It  ran  as  follows  :  "It  appears 


July  19, 1870]  KING  WILLIAM'S  POSITION  49 


from  the  Mazaredo  pamphlet  that  the  Hereditary  Prince 
of  HohenzoUern  informed  the  King  at  Ems  of  his 
acceptance  of  the  offer  of  the  Spanish  throne,  probably 
towards  the  end  of  June.  His  Majesty  was  then  at 
Ems  for  the  purpose  of  taking  the  waters,  and  certainly 
not  with  the  intention  of  carrying  on  business  of  State, 
as  none  of  his  Ministers  had  been  summoned  thither. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  only  so  much  has  become  public 
respecting  the  King's  reply  to  the  communication  of 
the  Hereditary  Prince  (it  was  in  the  form  of  a  letter 
written  in  his  Majesty's  own  hand)  that  the  Sovereign 
was  not  pleased  at  the  news,  although  he  did  not  feel 
called  upon  to  offer  any  opposition.  In  the  whole  affair 
no  State  action  of  any  kind  has  been  taken.  This 
constitutional  aspect  of  the  situation  does  not  appear  to 
have  been  properly  appreciated  up  to  the  present  in 
public  discussions  of  the  question.  The  position  of  the 
King  in  his  private  correspondence  was  confounded  with 
his  position  as  head  of  the  State,  and  it  was  forgotten 
that  in  the  latter  capacity,  according  to  the  Constitution, 
the  co-operation  of  the  Ministry  is  necessary  to  con- 
stitute a  State  action.  It  is  only  the  French  Cabinet 
that  appears  to  have  thoroughly  realised  this  distinction, 
inasmuch  as  it  brought  the  whole  force  of  its  diplomacy 
to  bear  upon  the  person  of  the  Sovereign,  who  was 
staying  at  a  watering-place  for  the  sake  of  his  health, 
and  whose  private  life  was  not  protected  by  the  usual 
etiquette,  in  order  to  force  him  under  official  pressure 
into  private  negotiations  which  might  afterwards  be 
represented  as  arrangements  with  the  Government." 

July  19th. — About  an  hour  after  the  opening  of 
Parliament  in  the  Royal  Palace  (1.45  p.m.)  Le  Sourd, 
the  French  Charge  d'Affaires,  delivered  Napoleon's 
declaration  of  war  at  the  Foreign  Office. 

VOL.    I  E 


5o  A  GOOD  OLD  PRUSSIAN  WORD       [July  19,  1870 

Towards  5  o'clock   in  the  evening  I    was   called  to 
the  Minister,  who  was   in  his  garden.     After  searching 
for  him  for  some  time  I   saw  him  coming  through  one 
of  the  long  shady  alleys  to   the  left  which   led  to  the 
entrance  in  the  Koniggratzer  Strasse.     He  was  bran- 
dishing a  big  stick.     His  figure  stood  out  against  the 
yellow  evening  sunshine   like  a  picture  painted  on  a 
gold  ground.     He  stopped  in  his  walk  as  I  came  up  to 
him,  and  said  :  "  I  wish  you  to  write  something  in  the 
Kreuzzeitung  against  the  Hanoverian  nobles.     It  must 
come  from  the  provinces,  from  a  nobleman  living  in 
the  country,  an  Old  Prussian — very  blunt,  somewhat  in 
this  style  :  It  is  reported  that  certain  Hanoverian  nobles 
have  endeavoured  to  find  pilots  and  spies  in  the  North 
Sea  for  French  men-of-war.     The  arrests  made  within 
the  last  few  days  with  the   assistance  of  the  military 
authorities  are  understood   to  be  connected  with  this 
affair.     The  conduct  of  those  Hanoverians  is  infamous, 
and    I    certainly    express    the    sentiments    of    all    my 
neighbours  when  I  put  the   following  questions  to  the 
Hanoverian  nobles  who  sympathise  with  those  traitors. 
Have  they  any  doubt,  I  would  ask  them,  that  a  man  of 
honour  could  not  now  regard  such  men  as   entitled  to 
demand  honourable  satisfaction  by  arms  whether  their 
unpatriotic  action  was  or  was  not  undertaken   at  the 
bidding  of  King  George  ?     Do  they  not,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  consider  that  an  affair  of  honour  with  them  is 
altogether  out  of  the  question,  and  should  one  of  them 
be  impudent  enough  to  propose  such  a  thing,  would 
they  not  have  him   turned  out  of  the  house  by  the 
servants  or  eject  him  propricB  manu  after  having,  of 
course,  put  on  a  pair  of  gloves  to  handle  him  with  ? 
Are  they  not  convinced  that  such  miscreants  can   only 
be  properly  described  by  the  good  old  Prussian  word 


July  19, 1870J      COLONEL  STOFFEDS  REPORTS  51 

Hundsvott  (scurvy,  infamous  rogues),  and  that  their 
treason  has  branded  their  posterity  to  the  third  and 
fourth  generations  with  indelible  disgrace  ?  I  beg  them 
to  answer  these  questions." 

Eve7iing. — In  an  article  in  the  Liberte  of  the  18th 
instant,  that  paper  reminds  Italy  that  she  owes  her 
liberation  to  France,  and  that  in  1866  it  was  France 
who  brought  about  the  Italian  alliance  with  the  Berlin 
Cabinet.  It  then  maintains  that,  in  view  of  the  serious- 
ness of  approaching  events,  Victor  Emmanuel,  with  truly 
chivalrous  sentiment,  has  not  for  a  moment  hesitated  to 
assure  the  French  of  his  unconditional  support.  With 
reference  to  this  article  our  papers  should  observe  :  "  Up 
to  the  present  the  French  have  played  the  part  of 
masters  to  the  whole  world,  and  Belgium,  Spain,  and  the 
King  of  Prussia  have  in  turn  experienced  their  arro- 
gance. Their  behaviour  was  somewhat  like  that  of  the 
Sultan  towards  his  Khedive,  it  was  a  kind  of  megalo- 
mania based  upon  the  bayonet.  Their  presumption  is 
now  beginning  to  waver,  so  they  court  the  assistance  of 
those  good  friends  whom  they  pretend  to  have  placed 
under  obligations  to  them." 

The  Minister  subsequently  dictated  the  following,  to 
be  worked  up  for  the  German  newspapers  outside  Berlin, 
such  as  the  Kolnische  Zeitung,  and  for  the  English  and 
Belgium  journals  :  "According  to  confidential  communi- 
cations from  loyal  Hanoverian  circles,  amongst  other 
decisive  factors  which  led  the  French  to  the  declaration 
of  war,  were  the  reports  sent  to  Paris  by  Colonel  Stoffel, 
the  Military  Plenipotentiary  in  Berlin.  StofFel's  infor- 
mation was,  it  appears,  less  accurate  than  abundant,  as 
none  of  those  who  supplied  him  with  it  being  prepared 
to  forego  the  payments  they  received  from  him  merely 
because  they   had    nothing  to    say,  they   occasionally 

E  2 


52  FRENCH  INTRIGUES  IN  SPAIN       [July  19, 1870 

invented  the  news  of  which  they  warranted  the  correct- 
ness. The  Plenipotentiary  had,  it  is  said,  been  informed 
that  the  arming  of  the  Prussian  infantry,  both  as  regards 
rifles  and  ammunition,  was  at  present  undergoing  a 
thorough  transformation,  and  that  consequently  a 
moment  so  favourable  as  the  present  for  attacking 
Prussia  would  hardly  occur  again,  inasmuch  as  on  the 
completion  of  this  change  the  Prussian  armaments  would 
have  been  unassailable."  ^ 

2.  "It  now  appears  to  be  beyond  all  doubt  that  the 
French  Government  was  aware  of  the  candidature  of  the 
Prince  of  Hohenzollern  for  months  past,  that  they 
carefully  promoted  it  and  foolishly  imagined  it  would 
serve  as  a  means  of  isolating  Prussia  and  creating  a 
division  in  Germany.  No  trustworthy  information  has 
been  received  as  yet  as  to  whether  and  how  far  Marshal 
Prim  had  prepared  the  way  for  this  intrigue,  in  agree- 
ment with  the  Emperor  Napoleon.  But  doubtless  that 
point  will  ultimately  be  cleared  up  by  history.  The 
sudden  disappearance  of  Spain  from  the  political  field  as 
soon  as  the  differences  between  France  and  Prussia  broke 
out  gives  matter  for  reflection  and  suspicion.  It  cannot 
but  be  regarded  as  strange  that  after  the  zeal  shown  by 
the  Spanish  Government  in  the  matter  of  the  Hohen- 
zollern candidature  had  been  raised  to  boiling  point  it 
should  have  suddenly  fallen  below  zero,  and  that  the 
relations  of  Marshal  Prim  to  the  French  Cabinet  should 
now  appear  to  be  of  the  most  friendly  character,  while 
the  Spaniards  seem  no  longer  to  feel  any  irritation  at 
the  interference  of  France  in  their  internal  affairs." 

3.  "  Rumours  were  circulated  this  afternoon  to  the 

1  The  loyal  Hanoverian  circles  did  not  tell  the  truth  in  this  matter. 
Stoffel's  reports  were,  on  the  whole,  good,  and  he  himself  was  a  man  of 
respectable  character. 


July2i,  i87o]     A  SUGGESTION  FOR  GARIBALDI  53 

effect  that  the  former  French  Military  Plenipotentiary, 
Baron  Stoffel,  had  been  insulted  in  the  street.  On  closer 
inquiry  it  was  ascertained  that  some  individuals  who 
knew  Stoffel  followed  him  in  the  street,  and  on  his 
reaching  his  house  struck  the  door  with  their  sticks. 
The  police  intervened  energetically  on  the  first  report  of 
this  matter  and  have  taken  measures  to  prevent  a  repe- 
tition of  such  conduct  and  to  provide  that  Baron  Stoffel 
shall  not  be  interfered  with  on  his  departure  this  evening. 
Excesses  of  this  description  are,  however,  highly  repre- 
hensible, even  when  they  are  confined  to  words.  The 
former  representatives  of  France  are  under  the  protection 
of  international  law  and  of  the  honour  of  Germany  until 
they  have  crossed  the  frontier." 

July  1\st. — Keudell  asked  me  this  morning  if  I  knew 
Easch,  the  journalist,  and  if  I  could  say  where  he  was 
now  to  be  found,  in  Berlin  or  elsewhere.  I  replied  that 
I  had  seen  him  in  Schleswig  in  1864,  afterwards  at  a 
table  d'hote  at  the  Hotel  Weissberg,  in  the  Dessauer 
Strasse,  where  he  lodged  at  the  end  of  February.  I 
knew  nothing  more  about  him,  but  had  heard  that  he 
was  extremely  conceited,  almost  to  the  point  of  madness 
— a  political  visionary  who  desired  to  convert  the  whole 
world  to  republicanism.  I  was  not  aware  of  his  where- 
abouts in  Berlin,  but  would  make  inquiries  at  Weissberg's. 
Keudell  told  me  to  hunt  him  up  and  ask  him  whether 
he  would  go  to  Garibaldi  and  urge  him  to  undertake  an 
expedition  against  Rome,  at  the  same  time  carrying  him 
money  from  us.  I  pointed  out  that  Rasch  was  perhaps 
too  vain  to  keep  his  own  counsel.  Keudell  consoled 
himself  with  the  idea  that  he  would  doubtless  prove  a 
good  patriot.  I  declined  to  treat  with  Rasch  in  the 
matter,  as  I  could  not  speak  to  him  in  my  own  name  but 
in  that  of  the  Foreign  Ofiice,  and  that  could  be  better 


54  BRITISH  IMPARTIALITY  [July  21, 1870 

done  by  some  official  of  higher  rank,  who  would  make 
a  greater  impression  upon  Rasch.  Keudell  seemed  to 
recognise  the  justice  of  this  view.  I  made  inquiries  and 
was  able  to  report  on  the  same  evening  that  Rasch  was 
staying  at  Weissberg's. 

Called  to  the  Minister  in  the  evening.  He  showed 
me  an  extract  from  the  National  Zeitung,  and  observed : 
"They  say  here  that  the  English  would  not  allow  the 
French  to  attack  Belgium.  Well  and  good,  but  how 
does  that  help  the  Belgians  if  the  protection  comes  too 
late  ?  If  Germany  were  once  defeated  (which  God 
forbid !)  the  English  would  not  be  able  to  assist  the 
Belgians  in  the  least,  but  might,  on  the  contrary,  be 
thankful  if  they  themselves  remained  safe  in  London." 

I  am  further  to  call  attention  to  the  "  manner  in 
which  France  is  begging  for  help  on  all  sides — that 
great  warlike  nation  which  makes  so  much  parade  of  its 
victories,  representing  them  as  having  always  been  won 
solely  by  the  force  of  its  own  arms.  They  go  begging 
(use  that  expression)  to  Italy,  to  Denmark,  to  Sweden, 
and  above  all  to  the  German  States,  to  whom  they 
promise  the  same  brilliant  destiny  which  they  have 
already  prepared  for  Italy — political  independence  and 
financial  ruin." 

Called  up  to  the  Minister  again  later.  I  am  to 
secure  the  insertion  of  the  following  in  the  non-official 
German  papers  and  in  the  Belgian  and  English  press  : 
"  The  English  Government  observe  their  neutrality  in 
connection  with  the  war  that  has  now  broken  out  in  a 
liberal  and  conscientious  spirit.  They  impartially 
permit  both  sides  to  purchase  horses  and  munitions  of 
war  in  England.  It  is  unfortunate,  however,  that 
France  alone  can  avail  herself  of  this  liberality,  as  will 
appear  from  a  glance  at  the  geographical  position  of  the 


July23,i87o]  HOW  ENGLAND  UNDERSTOOD  NEUTRALITY  55 

two  countries  and  from  the  superiority  of  the  French  at 
sea.  Then  quote  what  Heflfter  (the  book  must  be  in 
the  library)  has  to  say  on  this  kind  of  neutrality,  and 
observe  that  the  English  jurists  describe  it  more  tersely 
as  '  fraudulent  neutrality.'  " 

July  23rd. — Called  to  the  Minister  five  times 
to-day.  The  press  should  urge  the  prosecution  and 
seizure  of  Rothan,  an  Alsacian  who  speaks  German, 
hitherto  French  Charge  d' Affaires  at  Hamburg,  who 
has  been  a  zealous  spy  and  instrument  of  French 
intrigue  in  North  Germany,  and  who  is  now  understood 
to  be  wandering  along  the  coast  between  the  Elbe  and 
Ems,  as  also  that  of  the  ex-Hanoverian  officer,  Adolf 
von  Kielmansegg,  respecting  whom  further  particulars 
are  to  be  obtained  from  the  Ministry  of  the  Interior. 
The  Count  further  wants  the  press  to  give  a  list  of  the 
names  of  the  Bavarian  members  of  Parliament  who 
voted  for  the  neutrality  of  that  State  in  the  national 
war,  mentioning  their  professions  but  without  any 
further  remarks.  "  Give  it  first  in  Brass,"  (i.e.,  Nord- 
deutsche  Allgemeine  Zeitung,)  he  added.  "  You  will 
find  such  a  list  amongst  the  documents.  The  com- 
plaints as  to  the  manner  in  which  England  understands 
neutrality  must  be  continually  renewed.  The  English 
Government  does  not  forbid  the  export  of  horses,  though 
only  France  can  avail  herself  of  that  facility.  Colliers 
are  allowed  to  load  at  Newcastle  and  to  supply  fuel  for  the 
French  men-of-war  cruising  in  the  North  Sea.  English 
cartridge  factories  are  working  for  the  French  army 
under  the  eyes  of  the  Government.  In  Germany  the 
painful  feeling  has  become  more  and  more  widespread 
that,  under  Lord  Granville,  England,  while  nominally 
maintaining  neutrality,  favours  France  in  the  manner 
in  which  it  is  really  observed." 


56  ENGLISH  COALS  HIPS  FOR  FRANCE     [July  23,  1870 

About  11  P.M.  I  was  again  called  to  the  Minister. 
The  reports  respecting  the  English  coal  ships  to  be  at 
once  sent  by  a  Chancery  attendant  to  AVolf's  Tele- 
graphic Agency  for  circulation  to  the  newspapers. 

In  this  connection  may  be  mentioned  an  Embassy 
report  from  London,  dated  the  30th  of  July,  to  the 
following  effect :  Lord  Granville  had  asked  the 
Ambassador  if  he  had  not  stirred  up  the  authorities  in 
Berlin  against  the  English  Government.  The  reply  was 
in  the  negative.  The  Ambassador  had  only  carried  out 
his  instructions.  Public  opinion  in  Germany  influenced 
the  Government,  just  as  the  German  press  influenced 
public  opinion.  The  manner  in  which  neutrality  was 
observed  on  the  part  of  England  had  excited  the  greatest 
indignation  in  Germany.  The  action  of  the  English 
Government,  which  indeed  recognised  that  France  was 
in  the  wrong,  but  failed  to  give  expression  to  that  con- 
viction, was  also  bitterly  resented  there.  Granville 
replied  that  once  it  had  been  decided  to  remain  neutral 
that  neutrality  must  be  maintained  in  every  respect.  If 
the  export  of  contraband  of  war  were  forbidden,  the 
French  would  regard  it  as  an  act  of  one-sided  hostility, 
while  at  the  same  time  it  would  ruin  English  trade  in 
the  branches  affected  by  such  prohibition,  and  favour 
American  manufacturers.  For  the  present,  every  one  in 
England  approved  of  the  maintenance  of  neutrality, 
and  therefore  in  a  general  way  no  change  was  possible 
in  these  matters.  At  the  same  time,  the  English 
Government  was  ready,  in  case  of  complaints  reaching 
them  in  an  official  way  respecting  any  acts  of  illegality, 
to  institute  an  inquiry  into  the  facts  and  secure  the 
punishment  of  the  guilty  parties.  It  did  not  seem 
impossible  to  prevent  the  supply  of  English  coal  to 
French  men-of-war.     Next  Monday  a  Bill  was  to  be 


July24,  i87o]  LORD  GRANVILLE  57 

submitted  to  Parliament  for  the  amendment  of  the  laws 
regulating  neutrality.  The  report  concluded  as 
follows  :  "  England  is  in  many  respects  well  disposed 
towards  us,  but  will  for  the  present  remain  neutral.  If 
we  make  further  attacks  upon  English  public  opinion 
through  our  official  press  in  connection  with  these 
grievances,  it  will  serve  no  purpose  but  to  conjure  up 
future  difficulties.  Granville  is  not  what  we  might 
desire,  but  he  is  not  prejudiced  against  us.  He  may 
become  so,  however,  if  he  is  further  provoked  by  us. 
We  can  hardly  succeed  in  overthrowing  him,  and  if  we 
did  his  probable  successor  would  in  all  likelihood  be 
much  worse  than  himself." 

July  24,th. — I  am  instructed  by  the  Count  to  send 
an  article  to  the  Kolnische  ZeitU7ig  respecting  the 
Dutch  coal  question.  He  gave  me  the  following 
information  on  this  subject :  "  Holland  asked  us  to 
again  permit  the  passage  of  Prussian  coal  down  the 
Khine,  and  requested  that  a  large  transport  of  Rhenish 
coal  intended  for  Holland  should  be  allowed  to  pass  the 
frontier.  It  was  only  to  be  used  in  factories,  and  the 
Government  of  the  Netherlands  would  prohibit  its 
re-exportation.  Prussia  willingly  agreed  to  this,  but 
shortly  afterwards  it  was  ascertained  that  foreign  vessels 
were  being  loaded  with  coal  in  Dutch  ports,  and  the 
Government  of  the  Netherlands  subsequently  informed 
us  that  in  promising  to  prevent  the  re-exportation  they 
had  overlooked  the  circumstance  that  their  treaty  with 
France  did  not  permit  this.  Thereupon  as  a  matter  of 
course  the  export  of  Prussian  coal  to  Holland  was 
prohibited.  In  the  interval,  however,  they  seem  to 
have  secured  a  sufficient  supply  in  Holland  to  provide 
the  French  fleet  for  a  considerable  time.     That  is  a  very 


58  THE  FRENCH  AS  A  NATION  [July  24,  1870 

suspicious  method  of  observing  the  neutrality  promised 
by  the  gentlemen  at  the  Hague." 

Bucher  brings  me  the  following  paragraph  from  the 
Chief,  which  is  to  be  inserted  in  the  Spenersche  Zeitung, 
or  some  other  non-official  organ,  and  afterwards  in  the 
North  Germayi  Correspondeyice  :  "In  1851  a  literary 
gamin  in  Paris  was  commissioned  to  conjure  up  the  Red 
Terror  in  a  pamphlet,  which  proved  very  useful  to  the 
President  Louis  Napoleon,  enabling  him  to  escape  from 
a  debtors'  prison  and  ascend  the  Imperial  throne.  The 
Due  de  Grammont  now  tries  to  raise  the  Spanish  Terror 
in  order  to  save  the  Emperor  from  the  necessity  of 
accounting  for  the  hundred  millions  which  he  diverted 
from  the  State  Treasury  into  his  private  purse.  The 
literary  gentleman  in  question  was  made  a  Prefect. 
What  reward  can  Grammont  have  had  in  view  ?  " 

Evening. — The  Minister  wishes  an  article  to  be  pre- 
pared for  circulation  in  the  German  press  describing 
the  French  and  French  policy  under  the  Emperor 
Napoleon.  This  is  to  be  first  sent  to  the  Spene7'sche 
Zeitung,  while  the  Literary  Bureau  is  to  secure  the 
insertion  of  the  principal  points  in  a  condensed  form  in 
the  Magdeburg  papers  and  a  number  of  the  smaller 
journals  to-morrow.  The  Count  said  (literally)  : 
"  The  French  are  not  so  astute  as  people  generally 
think.  As  a  nation  they  resemble  certain  individuals 
amongst  our  lower  classes.  They  are  narrow-minded 
and  brutal, — great  physical  force,  boastful  and  insolent, 
winning  the  admiration  of  men  of  their  own  stamp 
through  their  audacity  and  violence.  Here  in  Germany 
the  French  are  also  considered  clever  by  persons  who 
do  not  think  deeply,  and  their  Ministers  are  regarded 
as   great   statesmen    because   of    their    insolent   inter- 


July25,  i87o]  NAPOLEON'S  BLUNDERS  59 

ference  in  the  affairs  of  the  whole  world,  and  their 
desire  to  rule  everywhere.  Audacity  is  always  im- 
pressive. People  think  their  success  is  due  to  shrewd 
political  calculation,  but  it  is  actually  due  to  nothing 
else  than  the  fact  that  they  always  keep  300,000 
soldiers  ready  to  back  up  their  policy.  That  alone,  and 
not  their  political  intelligence,  has  enabled  them  to 
carry  things  with  such  a  high  hand.     We  must  get  rid 

of  this  fiction In  political  affairs  the  French  are 

in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word  a  narrow-minded 
nation.  They  have  no  idea  how  things  look  outside 
of  France,  and  learn  nothing  about  it  in  their  schools. 
The  French  educational  establishments,  for  the  greater 
glory  of  France,  leave  their  pupils  in  the  crassest 
ignorance  as  to  everything  beyond  her  frontiers,  and  so 
they  have  not  the  slightest  knowledge  of  their  neigh- 
bours ;  that  is  the  case  with  the  Emperor,  or  at 
least  he  is  not  much  better,  to  say  nothing  of 
Grammont,  who  is  an  ass  {Rindvieli).  Napoleon  is 
ignorant  at  bottom,  although  he  has  been  educated  in 
German  schools.  His  '  Caesar  '  was  intended  to  conceal 
that  fact.  He  has  forgotton  everything.  His  policy 
was  always  stupid.  The  Crimean  War  was  against  the 
interests  of  France,  which  demanded  an  alliance  or  at 
least  a  good  understanding  with  Russia.  It  was  the 
same  with  the  war  in  Italy.  There  he  created  a  rival 
in  the  Mediterranean,  North  Africa,  Tunis,  &c.,  who 
may  one  day  prove  dangerous.  The  Italian  people  are 
much  more  gifted  than  the  French,  only  less  numerous. 
The  war  in  Mexico  and  the  attitude  adopted  in  1866 
were  blunders,  and  doubtless  in  storming  about  as  they 
do  at  present  the  French  feel  conscious  that  they  have 
committed  another  blunder." 

July    25th. — At    11    o'clock    this   morning     Count 


6o  THE  BENEDETTI  TREATY  [July 27, 1870 

Bismarck  and  his  family  took  the  Holy  Communion  at 
their  residence.  He  asked  whether  any  one  in  our  bureau 
desired  to  join  them,  but  no  one  offered  to  do  so.  I 
was  for  a  moment  tempted,  but  reconsidered  the  matter. 
It  might  look  as  if  I  wished  to  recommend  myself. 

Copies  of  the  Benedetti  draft  treaty  are  sent  to 
Auber  (the  French  Press  Agency)  and  Heide. 

July  27th. — It  is  to  be  stated  either  in  the  Nord- 
deutsche  or  the  Spenersche  Zeitung  that  secrecy 
respecting  confidential  communications  between  great 
States  is,  as  a  rule,  more  carefully  observed  and  main- 
tained than  the  pul^lic  imagines.  Nevertheless,  the 
French  misrepresentation  of  Prussia's  attitude  in  the 
affair  of  the  candidature  for  the  Spanish  throne  (in 
Grammont's  despatch  of  the  21st  of  July)  obliged  the 
authorities  here  to  disregard  these  considerations  of  dis- 
cretion. Benedetti's  proposal  has  therefore  been  pub- 
lished and  it  may  be  followed  by  other  documents  of 
the  same  description.  The  Count  concluded  his  direc- 
tions as  follows  :  "  We  are  at  least  entitled  to  tell  the 
truth  with  discretion  in  presence  of  such  indiscreet 
lies." 

Bucher  brings  me  from  the  Minister  the  following 
sketch  of  a  paragraph  for  the  press  :  "  The  despatch  of 
the  Due  de  Grammont,  the  full  text  of  which  now  lies 
before  us,  is  a  desperate  attempt  to  prove  that  the 
origin  of  the  situation  which  they  have  themselves 
created  was  the  Hohenzollern  candidature,  and  to  con- 
ceal the  motive  which  they  confessed  on  many  other 
occasions — namely,  the  conquest  by  France  of  the  left 
bank  of  the  Rhine  and  of  Belgium.  The  inconsistency 
of  the  whole  assertion  is  made  clear  l^y  the  circumstance 
that  the  offer  of  the  Spanish  throne  to  the  Hereditary 
Prince  of  Hohenzollern  was  first  made  in  a  letter  dated 


July27,  iSyo]  FRENCH  FICTIONS  6i 

the  14th  of  February  of  the  present  year.  Therefore, 
there  can  be  no  connection  between  this  offer  and  the 
conversations  in  March,  18 69, between  Benedetti  and  Von 
Thile,  which  were  the  outcome  of  aspirations  or  pro- 
posals frequently  ventilated  in  the  press  (also  with 
reference  to  Prince  Frederick  Charles).  In  1851  the 
President  Louis  Napoleon  succeeded  in  obtaining 
credence  both  at  home  and  abroad  for  certain  fictions,  so 
long  as  that  was  necessary  for  the  attainment  of  his 
object.  The  fiction  which  is  now  circulated,  at  a  some- 
what late  hour,  to  the  eifect  that  the  Prince  of  Hohen- 
zollern  was  the  candidate  of  Prussia  is  refuted  in 
advance  by  the  fact,  which  has  been  well  known  for  a 
long  time,  that  the  Prussian  Government  as  well  as  the 
ofiicials  of  the  Confederation,  had  absolutely  no  know- 
ledge of,  or  connection  with,  the  Spanish  proposal.  It 
was  resolutely  opposed  by  his  Majesty  the  King,  as  the 
head  of  the  Hohenzollern  family,  until  last  June,  when 
at  Ems  he  reluctantly  withdrew  his  opposition  when  it 
was  represented  to  him  that  otherwise  Spain  would  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  Republicans.  We  find  it  difiicult 
to  understand  what  interest  the  French  Government 
can  have  in  circulating  such  lies  now  that  war  has 
actually  broken  out.  The  attempt  of  the  Due  de 
Grammont  to  conjure  up  the  spectre  of  a  restoration  of 
Charles  V.'s  monarchy  can  only  be  explained  by  the 
complete  isolation  of  the  French  mind.  That  apparition 
had  no  sooner  manifested  itself  than  it  vanished  before 
the  angry  contempt  of  public  opinion,  which  resented 
being  supposed  capable  of  such  credulity." 

The  Chancellor  desires  to  see  the  following  con- 
siderations reproduced  in  the  evening  papers  :  "  The 
Benedetti  document  is  by  no  means  the  only  one  dealing 
with  the  matter  in  question.     Negotiations  were  also 


62   THE  Q  UES TION  OF  FRENCH  S  WITZERLAND  [July  28, 1 870 

carried  on  liy  others,  as,  for  instance,  by  Prince  Napoleon 
during  his  stay  in  Berlin.  Since  French  diplomacy  was 
ignorant  enough  to  believe  that  a  German  Minister  who 
followed  a  national  policy  could  for  a  moment  think  of 
entertaining  such  proposals,  it  had  only  itself  to  thank 
if  it  was  befooled  with  its  own  schemes  so  long  as  such 
fooling  appeared  calculated  to  promote  the  maintenance 
of  peace.  Even  those  who  pursue  the  most  ignorant 
and  narrow-minded  policy  must  ultimately  come  to 
recognise  that  they  have  hoped  for  and  demanded  im- 
possibilities. The  bellicose  temper  which  now  prevails 
in  Paris  dates  from  such  recognition.  The  hopes  of 
German  statesmen  that  they  would  be  able  to  befool 
the  French  until  a  peaceful  regime  was  established  in 
France  by  some  transformation  of  her  despotic  consti- 
tution have  unfortunately  not  been  realised.  Providence 
willed  it  otherwise.  Since  we  can  no  longer  maintain 
peace  it  is  not  necessary  now  to  preserve  silence.  For 
we  preserved  silence  solely  in  order  to  promote  the 
continuance,  and,  if  possible,  the  permanency,  of  peaceful 
relations."  ....  The  Minister  concluded  :  "  You  can 
add,  too,  that  the  question  of  French  Switzerland  was 
also  mentioned  in  the  negotiations,  and  that  it  was 
hinted  that  in  Piedmont  they  knew  quite  well  where 
the  French  districts  begin  and  the  Italian  districts 
leave  off." 

July  28th. — I  see  the  original  of  Benedetti's  draft 
treaty,  and  I  am  to  receive  a  photographic  copy  of  it 
similar  to  that  which  has  been  prepared  for  distribution 
amongst  foreign  Governments. 

Bucher  handed  me  the  following  sketch  of  an  article, 
received  by  him  from  the  Minister,  which  is  to  be  in- 
serted in  some  organ  not  apparently  connected  with  the 
Government :    "  Those  who  now  hold  power  in  Spain 


J 


July  3 1, 1870]     THE  FRENCH  IN  SEARCH  OF  ALLIES  63 

declare  that  they  do  not  wish  to  interfere  in  the  conflict 
between  Germany  and  France,  because  the  latter  might 
create  internal  difficulties  for  them.  They  allow  Bona- 
parte to  prohibit  their  election  of  the  King  of  their  own 
choice.  They  look  on  calmly  with  folded  arms  while 
other  nations  go  to  war  over  a  difference  that  has  arisen 
out  of  a  c|uestion  of  Spanish  domestic  interest.  We  had 
formed  quite  another  opinion  of  the  Castilian  gentil- 
homme.  The  Spanish  temper  seems  to  resemble  that  of 
Gil  Bias,  who  wanted  to  fight  a  duel  with  the  army 
surgeon  but  observed  that  the  latter  had  an  unusually 
long  rapier." 

July  Both,  10  j^9.m. — The  Minister  desires  that  atten- 
tion should  be  again  called  to  the  manner  in  which  the 
French  are  looking  about  for  foreign  assistance,  and  he 
once  more  gives  a  few  points  :  "  France  is  begging  in 
all  directions,  and  wants  in  particular  to  take  Italy  into 
her  pay.  Here,  as  everywhere,  she  speculates  upon  the 
worst  elements,  while  the  better  elements  will  have 
nothing  to  do  with  her.  How  does  that  harmonise  with 
the  greatness  of  the  nation  which  '  stands  at  the  head 
of  civilisation,'  and  whose  historians  always  point  out 
that  it  was  only  defeated  at  Leipzig  because  its 
opponents  were  four  to  one  ?  At  that  time  they  had 
half  Germany,  Italy,  Holland,  and  the  present  Belgium 
on  their  side.  To-day,  when  they  stand  alone,  they  go 
round  hat  in  hand  to  every  door,  and  seek  mercenaries 
to  reinforce  their  own  army,  in  which  they  can  therefore 
have  but  very  little  confidence." 

July  31st. — This  morning  received  from  Eoland  one 
of  the  photographic  copies  of  the  Benedetti  draft. 


CHAPTER  II 

DEPARTURE  OF  THE  CHANCELLOR  FOR  THE  SEAT  OF  WAR 

1  FOLLOW  HIM,   AT  FIRST  TO  SAARBRUECK — 

JOURNEY  FROM  THERE  TO  THE  FRENCH  FRONTIER — 
THE  FOREIGN  OFFICE  FLYING  COLUMN 

On  the  31st  of  July,  1870,  at  5.30  p.m.,  the  Chan- 
cellor, accompanied  by  his  wife  and  his  daughter, 
the  Countess  Marie,  left  his  residence  in  the  Wilhelm- 
strasse  to  take  the  train  for  Mayence,  on  his  way  to 
join  King  William  at  the  seat  of  war.  He  was  to  be 
followed  by  some  Councillors  of  the  Foreign  Office,  a 
Secretary  of  the  Central  Bureau,  two  deciphering  clerks 
and  three  or  four  Chancery  attendants.  The  remainder 
of  us  only  accompanied  him  with  our  good  wishes,  as, 
with  his  helmet  on  his  head,  he  passed  out  between  the 
two  sphinxes  that  guard  the  door  steps,  and  entered  his 
carriage.  I  also  had  resigned  myself  to  the  idea  of 
following  the  course  of  the  army  on  the  map  and  in  the 
newspapers.  A  few  days  after  the  declaration  of  war, 
on  my  begging  the  Minister  to  take  me  with  him  in 
case  I  could  be  of  use,  he  replied  that  that  depended  on 
the  arrangements  at  headquarters.  At  the  moment 
there  was  no  room  for  me.  My  luck,  however,  soon 
improved.  % 

On  the  evening  of  the  6th  of  August  a  telegram  was 


Aug.  7, 1870]      I  AM  ORDERED  TO  THE  FRONT  65 

received  at  the  Ministry  giving  news  of  the  victory  at 
Worth.  Half  an  hour  later  I  took  the  good  tidings  still 
fresh  and  warm  to  a  group  of  acquaintances  who  waited 
in  a  restaurant  to  hear  how  things  were  going.  Every- 
body knows  how  willingly  Germans  celebrate  the  receipt 
of  good  news.  My  tidings  were  very  good  indeed,  and 
many  (perhaps  most)  of  my  friends  celebrated  them  too 
long.  The  result  was  that  next  morning  I  was  still  in 
bed  when  the  Foreign  Office  messenger  Lorenz  brought 
me  a  copy  of  a  telegraphic  despatch,  according  to  which  I 
was  to  start  for  headquarters  immediately.  Privy 
Councillor  Hepke  wrote  :  "  Dear  Doctor, — Get  ready  to 
leave  for  headquarters  in  the  course  of  the  day."  The 
telegram  ran  as  follows  :  "  Mayence,  6th  of  August, 
7.36  P.M.  Let  Dr.  Busch  come  here  and  bring  with  him 
a  Correspondent  for  the  National  Zeitung  and  one  for 
the  Kreuzzeitung.  Bismarck."  Hepke  allowed  me  to 
select  these  correspondents. 

I  had  therefore  after  all  attained  to  the  very  height 
of  good  fortune.  In  a  short  time  I  had  provided  for 
all  essentials,  and  by  midday  I  had  received  my  pass 
legitimation,  and  free  ticket  for  all  military  trains.  That 
evening  a  little  after  8  o'clock  I  left  Berlin  togethei 
with  the  two  correspondents  whom  the  Minister  wished 
to  accompany  me,  namely,  Herr  von  Ungarn- Sternberg, 
for  the  Kreuzzeitung,  and  Professor  Constantine  Roeszler 
for  the  National  Zeitung.  In  the  beginning  we  travelled 
first  class,  afterwards  third,  and  finally  in  a  freight  car. 
There  were  numerous  long  halts,  which  in  our  impatience 
seemed  still  longer.  It  was  only  at  6  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  the  9th  of  August  that  we  reached  Frankfurt. 
As  we  had  to  wait  here  for  some  hours  we  had  time  to 
inquire  where  the  headquarters  were  now  established. 
The  local  Commandant  was  unable  to  inform  us,  nor 

VOL    I  F 


66  JOURNEYING  TO  THE  SEAT  OF  WAR    [Aug.  8,  1870 

could  the  Telegraph  Director  say  anything  positive  on 
the  subject.  He  thought  they  might  be  still  in  Homburg, 
but  more  probably  they  had  moved  on  to  Saarbrueck. 

It  was  midday  before  we  again  started,  in  a  goods 
train,  by  way  of  Darmstadt,  past  the  Odenwald,  whose 
peaks  were  covered  with  heavy  white  fog,  by  Mannheim 
and  towards  Neustadt.  As  we  proceeded  our  pace 
became  gradually  slower,  and  the  stoppages,  which  were 
occasioned  by  seemingly  endless  lines  of  carriages 
transporting  troops,  became  more  and  more  frequent. 
Wherever  a  pause  occurred  in  the  rush  of  this  onward 
wave  of  modern  national  migration,  crowds  hurried  to 
the  train,  cheering  and  flourishing  their  hats  and  hand- 
kerchiefs. Food  and  drink  were  brought  to  the  soldiers 
by  people  of  all  sorts  and  conditions,  including  poor  old 
women  —  needy  Ijut  good-hearted  creatures  whose 
poverty  only  allowed  them  to  offer  coffee  and  dry  black 
bread. 

We  crossed  the  Ehine  during  the  night.  As  day 
began  to  break  we  noticed  a  well-dressed  gentleman 
lying  near  us  on  the  floor  who  was  speaking  English  to 
a  man  whom  we  took  to  be  his  servant.  We  discovered 
that  he  was  a  London  banker  named  Deichmann.  He 
also  was  anxious  to  get  to  headquarters  in  order  to  beg 
Koon's  permission  to  serve  as  a  volunteer  in  a  cavalry 
regiment,  for  which  purpose  he  had  brought  his  horses 
with  him.  The  line  being  blocked  near  Hosbach,  on 
Deichmann's  advice  we  took  a  country  cart  to  Neustadt, 
a  little  town  which  was  swarming  with  soldiers — 
Bavarian  riflemen,  Prussian  Red  Hussars,  Saxon  and 
other  troops. 

It  was  here  that  we  took  our  first  warm  meal  since 
our  departure  from  Berlin.  Hitherto  we  had  had  to 
content  ourselves  with   cold  meat,  while  at  night  our 


Aug.  9,  1870]  DIFFICULTIES  OF  TRAVEL  67 

attempts  to  sleep  on  the  bare  wooden  benches  with  a 
portmanteau  for  a  pillow  were  not  particularly  suc- 
cessful. However,  we  were  proceeding  to  the  seat  of 
war,  and  I  had  experienced  still  greater  discomforts  on 
a  tour  of  far  less  importance. 

After  a  halt  of  one  hour  at  Neustadt,  the  train 
crossed  the  Hardt  through  narrow  valleys  and  a  number 
of  tunnels,  passing  the  defile  in  which  Kaiserlautern 
lies.  From  this  point  until  we  reached  Homburg  it 
poured  in  torrents  almost  without  cessation,  so  that 
when  we  arrived  at  that  station  at  10  o'clock  the  little 
place  seemed  to  be  merely  a  picture  of  night  and  water. 
As  we  stepped  out  of  the  train  and  waded  through 
swamp  and  pool  with  our  luggage  on  our  shoulders,  we 
stumbled  over  the  rails  and  rather  felt  than  saw  our 
way  to  the  inn  "  Zur  Post."  There  we  found  every  bed 
occupied  and  not  a  mouthful  left  to  eat.  We  ascertained 
however,  that  had  even  the  conditions  been  more 
favourable  we  could  not  have  availed  ourselves  of  them, 
as  we  were  informed  that  the  Count  had  gone  on  with 
the  King,  and  was  at  that  moment  probably  in 
Saarbrueck.  There  was  no  time  to  be  lost  if  we  were  to 
overtake  him  l)efore  he  left  Germany. 

It  was  far  from  pleasant  to  have  to  turn  out  once 
more  into  the  deluge,  but  we  were  encouraged  to  take 
our  fate  philosophically  by  considering  the  still  worse 
fate  of  others.  In  the  tap-room  of  the  "  Post "  the 
guests  slept  on  chairs  enveloped  in  a  thick  steam 
redolent  of  tobacco,  beer,  and  smoking  lamps  and  the 
still  more  pungent  odour  of  damp  clothes  and  leather. 
In  a  hollow  near  the  station  we  saw  the  watchfire  of  a 
large  camp  half  quenched  by  the  rain — Saxon  country- 
men of  ours,  if  we  were  lightly  informed.  While 
wading  our  way  back  to  the  train  we  caught  the  gleam 

F  2 


68  SLOW  PROGRESS  [Aug.  lo,  1870 

of  the  helmets  and  arms  of  a  Prussian  battalion  which 
stood  in  the  pouring  rain  opposite  the  railway  hotel. 
Thoroughly  drenched  and  not  a  little  tired,  we  at  length 
found  shelter  in  a  waggon,  where  Deichmann  cleared  a 
corner  of  the  floor  on  which  we  too  could  lie,  and  found 
a  few  handfuls  of  straw  to  serve  us  as  a  pillow.  My 
other  two  companions  were  not  so  fortunate.  They  had 
to  manage  as  best  they  could  on  the  top  of  boxes  and 
packages  with  the  postmen  and  transport  soldiers.  It 
was  evident  that  the  poor  Professor,  who  had  grown 
very  quiet,  was  considerably  afi'ected  by  these  hardships. 

About  1  o'clock  the  train  set  itself  slowly  in  motion. 
By  daybreak,  after  several  stoppages,  we  reached  the 
outskirts  of  a  small  town  with  a  beautiful  old  church. 
A  mill  lay  in  the  valley  through  which  we  could  also 
see  the  windings  of  the  road  that  led  to  Saarbrueck. 
We  were  told  that  this  town  was  only  two  or  three  miles 
ofi",  so  that  we  were  near  our  journey's  end.  Our  loco- 
motive, however,  seemed  to  be  quite  out  of  breath,  and 
as  the  headquarters  miglit  at  any  moment  leave  Saar- 
brueck and  cross  the  frontier,  where  we  could  get  no 
railway  transport  and  in  all  probability  no  other  means 
of  conveyance,  our  impatience  and  anxiety  increased,  and 
our  tempers  were  not  improved  by  a  clouded  sky  and 
drizzling  rain.  Having  waited  in  vain  nearly  two  hours 
for  the  train  to  start,  Deichmann  again  came  to  our 
rescue.  After  a  short  disappearance  he  returned  with  a 
miller  who  had  arranged  to  carry  us  to  the  town  in  his 
own  trap.  The  prudent  fellow,  however,  made  Deich- 
mann promise  that  the  soldiers  should  not  take  his  horses 
from  him. 

During  the  drive  the  miller  told  us  that  the  Prussians 
were  understood  to  have  abeady  pushed  on  their  outposts 
as  far  as  the  neighbourhood  of  Metz.     Between  9  and  10 


Aug.  lo,  1870]     /  REPORT  MYSELF  TO  BISMARCK  69 


o'clock  we  reached  Sanct  Johann,  a  suburb  of  Saarbrueck, 
where  we  noticed  very  few  signs  of  the  French  cannonade 
a  few  days  ago,  although  it  otherwise  presented  a  lively 
and  varied  picture  of  war  times.  A  huddled  and  con- 
fused mass  of  canteen  carts,  baggage  waggons,  soldiers 
on  horse  and  foot,  and  ambulance  attendants  with  their 
red  crosses,  &c.,  filled  the  streets.  Some  Hessian 
dragoon  and  artillery  regiments  marched  through,  the 
cavalrymen  singing,  "  Morgenrotli  leuchtest  mir  zum, 
fruehen  Tod  !  "  (Dawn,  thou  lightest  me  to  an  early 
grave). 

At  the  hotel  where  we  put  up  I  heard  that  the 
Chancellor  was  still  in  the  town,  and  lodged  at  the  house 
of  a  merchant  and  manufacturer  named  Haldy.  I  had 
therefore  missed  nothing  by  all  our  delays,  and  had 
fortunately  at  length  reached  harbour.  Not  a  minute 
too  soon,  however,  as  on  going  to  report  my  arrival  I 
was  informed  by  Count  Bismarck-Bohlen,  the  Minister's 
cousin,  that  they  intended  to  move  on  shortly  after 
midday.  I  bade  good-bye  to  my  companions  from 
Berlin,  as  there  was  no  room  for  them  in  the  Chancellor's 
suite,  and  also  to  our  London  friend,  whose  patriotic 
offer  General  Eoon  was  regretfully  obliged  to  decline. 
After  providing  for  the  safety  of  my  luggage,  I  pre- 
sented myself  to  the  Count,  who  was  just  leaving  to 
call  upon  the  King.  I  then  went  to  the  Bureau  to 
ascertain  if  I  could  be  of  any  assistance.  There  was 
plenty  to  do.  Every  one  had  his  hands  full,  and  I  was 
immediately  told  off  to  make  a  translation  for  the  King 
of  Queen  Victoria's  Speech  from  the  Throne,  which  had 
just  arrived.  I  was  highly  interested  by  a  declaration 
contained  in  a  despatch  to  St.  Petersburg,  which  I  had 
to  dictate  to  one  of  our  deciphering  clerks,  although  at 
the  time  I  could  not  quite  understand  it.     It  was  to  the 


70       THE  FOREIGN  OFFICE  FIELD  BUREAU      [Aug.  lo,  1870 

effect  that  we  sliould  not  be  satisfied  with  the  mere  fall 
of  Napoleon. 

That  looked  like  a  foreshadowing  of  some  miracle. 

Strassburg  !  and  perhaps  the  Vosges  as  our  frontier  ! 
Who  could  have  dreamed  of  it  three  weeks  before  ? 

In  the  meantime  the  weather  had  cleared  up.  Shortly 
before  one  o'clock,  under  a  broiling  sun,  three  four-horse 
carriages  drew  up  before  our  door,  with  soldiers  riding 
as  postilions.  One  was  for  the  Chancellor,  another  for 
the  Councillors  and  Count  Bismarck- Bohlen,  and  the 
third  for  the  Secretaries  and  Decipherers.  The  two  Coun- 
cillors and  the  Count  having  decided  to  ride,  I  took 
a  place  in  their  carriage,  as  I  also  did  subsequently 
whenever  they  went  on  horseback.  Five  minutes  later  we 
crossed  the  stream  and  entered  the  Saarbrueck  high  road, 
which  led  past  the  battlefield  of  the  6th  of  August. 
Within  half  an  hour  of  our  departure  from  Sanct  Johann 
we  were  on  French  soil.  There  were  still  many  traces 
of  the  sanguinary  struggle  that  had  raged  there  five 
days  ago — branches  torn  from  the  trees  by  artillery 
fire,  fragments  of  accoutrements  and  uniforms,  the  crops 
trampled  into  the  earth,  broken  wheels,  pits  dug  in  the 
ground  by  exploding  shells,  and  small  wooden  crosses 
roughly  tied  together,  probably  marking  the  graves  of 
officers  and  others.  So  far  as  one  could  observe  all  the 
dead  had  been  already  buried. 

Here  at  the  commencement  of  our  journey  through 
France  I  will  break  off  my  narrative  for  a  while  in  order 
to  say  a  few  words  about  the  Foreign  Office  Field 
Bureau  and  the  way  in  which  the  Chancellor  and  his 
people  travelled,  lodged,  worked  and  lived.  The  Minis- 
ter had  selected  to  accompany  him  Herr  Abeken  and 
Herr  von  Keudell,  Count  Hatzfeldt,  who  had  previously 
spent  several  years  at  the  Embassy  in  Paris,  and  Count 


Aug.  lo,  1870]  THE  CHANCELLOR'S  STAFF  71 


Bismarck-Bohlen,  all  four  Privy  Councillors  of  Lega- 
tion. After  these  came  the  Geheim-Sekretdr,  Bolsing, 
of  the  Centralbureau,  the  two  deciphering  clerks, 
Willisch  and  St.  Blanquart,  and  finally  myself.  At 
Ferrieres  our  list  of  Councillors  was  completed  by 
Lothar  Bucher,  and  a  new  deciphering  clerk,  Herr 
Wiehr,  also  joined  us.  At  Versailles  the  number  was 
further  increased  by  Herr  von  Holstein,  subsequently 
Councillor  of  Embassy,  the  young  Count  Wartensleben, 
and  Privy  Councillor  Wagner,  the  latter,  however,  not 
being  employed  on  Foreign  Office  work.  Herr  Bolsing 
who  had  fallen  ill,  was  replaced  by  Geheim-Sekretar 
Wollmann,  and  the  accumulation  of  work  afterwards 
required  a  fourth  deciphering  clerk.  Our  "  Chief,"  as 
the  Chancellor  was  usually  called  by  the  staff,  had 
kindly  arranged  that  all  his  fellow-workers,  Secretaries 
as  w^ell  as  Councillors,  should  in  a  certain  sense  be 
members  of  his  household.  When  circumstances  per- 
mitted we  lodged  in  the  same  house,  and  had  the  honour 
of  dining  at  his  table. 

Throuohout  the  whole  war  the  Chancellor  w^ore 
uniform.  It  was  generally  the  well-known  undress  of 
the  yellow  regiment  of  heavy  Landwehr  cavalry. 
During  the  early  months  of  the  campaign  he  as  a  rule 
only  wore  the  Commander  s  Cross  of  the  Order  of  the 
Red  Eagle,  to  which  he  afterwards  added  the  Iron 
Cross.  I  only  saw  him  a  couple  of  times  in  a  dressing 
gown.  That  was  at  YersaiUvs,  when  he  was  unwell,  the 
only  timCj  as  far  as  I  know,  that  anything  ailed  him 
throughout  the  whole  war.  When  travelling  he  was 
usually  accompanied  in  the  carriage  by  Herr  Abeken, 
but  on  some  occasions  he  took  me  with  him  for  several 
days  in  succession.  He  was  very  easy  to  please  in  the 
matter  of  his  quarters,  and  was  willing  to  put  up  with 


72  HOW  THE  CHANCELLOR  WORKED     [Aug.  lo,  1870 

the  most  modest  shelter  when  better  was  not  to  be  had. 
Indeed,  it  once  happened  that  there  was  no  bedstead 
and  that  his  bed  had  to  be  made  upon  the  floor. 

Our  carriages  usually  followed  immediately  after 
those  of  the  King's  suite.  We  started  generally  about 
10  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  sometimes  covered  as 
much  as  sixty  kilometres  in  the  day.  On  reaching  our 
quarters  for  the  night  our  first  duty  was  to  set  about 
preparing  an  office,  in  which  there  was  seldom  any  lack 
of  work,  especially  when  we  had  the  Field  Telegraph  at 
our  disposal.  When  communications  were  thus  estab- 
lished, the  Chancellor  again  became  what,  with  short 
intervals,  he  had  been  throughout  this  entire  period, 
namely,  the  central  figure  of  the  whole  civilised 
European  world.  Even  in  those  places  where  we  only 
stayed  for  one  night  he,  incessantly  active  himself,  kept 
his  assistants  almost  continuously  engaged  until  a  late 
hour.  Messengers  were  constantly  going  and  coming 
with  telegrams  and  letters.  Councillors  were  drawing 
up  notes,  orders  and  directions  under  instructions  from 
their  chief,  and  these  were  being  copied,  registered, 
ciphered  and  deciphered  in  the  Chancellerie.  Reports, 
questions,  newspaper  articles,  &c.,  streamed  in  from 
every  direction,  most  of  them  requiring  instant 
attention. 

Never,  perhaps,  was  the  well  nigh  superhuman 
power  of  work  shown  by  the  Chancellor,  his  creative, 
receptive  and  critical  activity,  his  ability  to  deal  with 
the  most  difficult  problems,  always  finding  the  right 
and  the  only  solution,  more  strikingly  evident  than 
during  this  period.  The  inexhaustible  nature  of  his 
powers  was  all  the  more  astounding,  as  he  took  but 
little  sleep.  Except  when  a  battle  was  expected  and  he 
rose  at  daybreak  to  join  the  King  and  the  army,  the 


Aug.  lo,  iSyo]  THE  DAILY  PROGRAMME  73 

Chancellor  rose  rather  late,  as  had  been  his  custom  at 
home,  usually  about  10  o'clock.  On  the  other  hand,  he 
spent  the  night  at  work,  and  only  fell  asleep  as  daylight 
began  to  appear.  He  was  often  hardly  out  of  bed  and 
dressed  before  he  commenced  work  again,  reading 
despatches  and  making  notes  upon  them,  looking 
through  newspapers,  giving  instructions  to  his  Council- 
lors and  others,  and  setting  them  their  various  tasks,  or 
even  writing  or  dictating.  Later  on  there  were  visits  to 
be  received,  audiences  to  be  granted,  explanations  to  be 
given  to  the  King.  Then  followed  a  further  study  of 
despatches  and  maps,  the  correction  of  articles,  drafts 
hurriedly  prepared  with  his  well-known  big  pencil, 
letters  to  be  written,  information  to  be  telegraphed,  or 
published  in  the  newspapers,  and  in  the  midst  of  it  all 
the  reception  of  visitors  who  could  not  be  refused  a 
hearing  yet  must  occasionally  have  been  unwelcome. 
It  was  only  after  2,  or  even  3  o'clock,  in  places 
where  we  made  a  longer  stay,  that  the  Chancellor 
allowed  himself  a  little  recreation  by  taking  a  ride  in 
the  neighbourhood.  On  his  return  he  set  to  work  again, 
continuing  until  dinner  time,  between  5.30  and  6  p.m. 
In  an  hour  and  a  half  at  latest,  he  went  back  to 
his  writing-desk,  where  he  frequently  remained  till 
midnight. 

In  his  manner  of  taking  his  meals,  as  in  his  sleep, 
the  Count  differed  from  the  general  run  of  mankind. 
Early  in  the  day  he  took  a  cup  of  tea  and  one  or  two 
eggs,  and  from  that  time  until  evening  he,  as  a  rule, 
tasted  nothing  more.  He  seldom  took  any  luncheon 
and  rarely  came  to  tea,  which  was  usually  served 
between  10  and  11  at  night.  With  some  excep- 
tions, he  therefore  had  practically  but  one  meal  in  the 
twenty-four  hours,  but,   like  Frederick  the  Great,  he 


74  THE  CHANCELLOR'S  TABLE        [Aug.  lo,  1870 

then  ate  with  appetite.  Diplomats  are  proverbially 
fond  of  a  good  table,  being  scarcely  surpassed  in  this 
respect  by  the  clergy.  It  is  part  of  their  business,  as 
they  often  have  important  guests  who,  for  one  reason 
or  another,  must  be  put  in  good  humour,  and  it  is 
universally  recognised  that  nothing  is  better  calculated 
to  that  end  than  a  well-filled  cellar  and  a  dinner  which 
shows  the  skill  of  a  highly  trained  clief.  Count 
Bismarck  also  kept  a  good  table,  which,  when  circum- 
stances permitted,  became  quite  excellent.  That  was 
the  case  for  instance  at  Rheims,  Meaux,  Ferrieres  and 
Versailles,  where  the  genius  of  our  cook  in  the  Commis- 
sariat uniform  created  breakfasts  and  dinners  that 
made  any  one  accustomed  to  a  homely  fare  feel,  as  he 
did  justice  to  them,  that  he  was  at  length  resting  in 
Abraham's  bosom,  particularly  when  some  specially 
fine  brand  of  champagne  was  added  to  the  other 
gracious  gifts  of  Providence.  During  the  last  five 
months  our  table  was  also  enriched  by  presents  from 
home  where,  as  was  only  right  and  proper,  our  people 
showed  how  fondly  they  remembered  the  Chancellor, 
by  sending  him  plentiful  supplies  of  good  things,  both 
fluid  and  solid,  geese,  venison,  fish,  pheasants,  monu- 
mental pastry,  excellent  beer,  rare  wines,  and  other 
acceptable  delicacies. 

At  first  only  the  Councillors  wore  uniform,  Herr 
von  Keudell  that  of  Ijlie  Cuirassiers,  and  Count  Bis- 
marck-Bohlen  that  of  the  Dragoon  Guards,  while  Count 
Hatzfeldt  and  Herr  Abeken  wore  the  undress  uniform 
of  the  Foreign  Ofiice.  It  was  afterwards  suggested 
that  the  whole  of  the  Minister's  'personnel,  with  the 
exception  of  the  two  gentlemen  first  mentioned,  who 
were  also  officers,  should  be  allowed  the  same  privilege. 
The  Chief  gave  his  consent,  so  the  people  of  Versailles 


Aug.  lo,  1870]       PRIVY  COUNCILLOR  ABEKEN  75 

had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  our  Chancery  attendants 
in  a  dark  blue  tunic  with  two  rows  of  buttons,  black 
collar  trimmed  with  velvet,  and  a  cap  of  the  same 
colour,  while  our  Councillors,  Secretaries  and  Decipher- 
ers carried  swords  with  a  gold  sword-knot.  The  elderly 
Privy  Councillor  Abeken,  who  could  make  his  horse 
prance  as  proudly  as  any  cavalry  officer,  looked  wonder- 
fully warlike  in  this  costume,  in  which,  I  fancy,  he 
delighted  not  a  little.  It  was  to  him  just  as  great  a 
pleasure  to  show  off  in  all  this  military  bravery  as  it 
had  been  to  travel  through  the  Holy  Land  dressed  up 
as  an  Oriental,  although  he  did  not  understand  a  word 
of  Turkish  or  Arabic. 


CHAPTER   III 

FROM    THE   FRONTIER    TO    GRAVELOTTE 

In  the  preceding  chapter  I  broke  off  my  narrative 
at  the  French  frontier.  We  recognised  that  we  had 
crossed  it  by  the  notices  posted  in  the  villages,  "  Dd- 
partement  de  la  Moselle."  The  white  roads  were 
thronged  with  conveyances,  and  in  every  hamlet  troops 
were  billeted.  In  these  hilly  and  partially  wooded 
districts  we  saw  small  camps  being  pitched  here  and 
there.  After  about  two  hours'  drive  we  reached  Tor- 
bach,  which  we  passed  through  without  stopping.  In 
the  streets  through  which  we  drove  the  signboards  were 
almost  entirely  French,  although  the  names  were  chiefly 
German.  Some  of  the  inhabitants  who  were  standing 
at  their  doors  greeted  us  in  passing.  Most  of  them, 
however,  looked  sulky,  which,  although  it  did  not  add 
to  their  beauty,  was  natural  enough,  as  they  had 
evidently  plenty  of  soldiers  to  provide  quarters  for. 
The  windows  were  all  full  of  Prussians  in  blue  uniforms. 
We  thus  jogged  on,  up  hill  and  down  dale,  reaching 
Saint  Avoid  about  half  past  four.  Here  we  took  up 
lodgings.  Chancellor  and  all,  with  a  M.  Laity,  at  No. 
301  Rue  des  Charrons.  It  was  a  one-storey  house, 
but  rather  roomy,  with  a  well-kept  fruit  and  vegetable 
garden  at  the  back.     The  proprietor,  who  was  said  to 


Aug.  II,  i87o]         GENERAL  VON  STEINMETZ  -j-j 

be  a  retired  officer,  and  appeared  to  be  well  to  do,  bad 
gone  away  with  his  wife  the  day  before,  leaving  only  a 
maid  and  an  old  woman,  who  spoke  nothing  but 
French.  In  half  an  hour  we  had  fixed  up  our  office 
and  chosen  our  sleeping  quarters.  Work  began  without 
delay.  As  there  was  nothing  to  be  done  in  my  depart- 
ment, I  tried  to  assist  in  deciphering  the  despatches, 
an  operation  which  offers  no  particular  difficulties. 

At  seven  o'clock  we  dined  with  the  Chancellor  in  a 
little  room  looking  out  on  a  small  courtyard  with  some 
flower  beds.     The  conversation  at  table  was  very  lively, 
the  Minister  having  most  to  say.     He  did  not  consider 
a  surprise  impossible,  as  he  had  satisfied  himself  during 
his  walk  that  our  outposts  were  only  three-quarters  of 
an  hour  from  the  town  and  very  wide  apart.     He  had 
asked  at  one  post  where  the  next  was  stationed,  l^ut  the 
men  did  not  know.    He  said  :  "  While  I  was  out  I  saw  a 
man  with  an  axe  on  his  shoulder  following  close  at  my 
heels.     I  kept  my  hand  on  my  sword,  as  one  cannot  tell 
in  certain  circumstances  what  may  happen ;  but  in  any 
case  I  should  have  been  ready  first."     He   remarked 
later  on  that  our  landlord  had  left  all  his  cupboards  full 
of  underclothing,   adding :    "  If  this  house  should   be 
turned  into  an  ambulance  hospital,  his  wife's  fine  under- 
linen  will  be  torn  up  for  lint  and  bandages,  and  quite 
properly.     But  then  they  will  say  that  Count  Bismarck 
took  the  things  away  with  him." 

We  came  to  speak  of  the  disposal  of  the  troops  in 
action.  The  Minister  said  that  General  Steinmetz  had 
shown  himself  on  that  occasion  to  be  self-willed  and 
disobedient.  "  Like  Vogel  von  Falkenstein,  his  habit  of 
taking  the  law  into  his  own  hands  will  do  him  harm  in 
spite  of  the  laurels  he  won  at  Skalitz." 

There  was  cognac,  red  wine,  and  a  sparkling  Mayence 


78  BISMARCK  ON  RELIGIOUS  LIBERTY     [Aug.  ii,  1870 

wine  on  the  table.  Somebody  mentioned  beer,  saying 
that  probably  we  should  be  unable  to  obtain  it.  The 
Minister  replied  :  "  That  is  no  loss  !  The  excessive  con- 
sumption of  beer  is  deplorable.  It  makes  men  stupid, 
lazy  and  useless.  It  is  responsible  for  the  democratic 
nonsense  spouted  over  the  tavern  tables.  A  good  rye 
whiskey  is  very  much  better." 

I  cannot  now  remember  how  or  in  what  connection 
we  came  to  speak  about  the  Mormons.  The  Minister 
was  surprised  at  their  polygamy,  "  as  the  German  race 
is  not  equal  to  so  much — Orientals  seem  to  be  more 
potent."  He  wondered  how  the  United  States  could 
tolerate  the  existence  of  such  a  polygamous  sect.  The 
Count  took  this  opportunity  of  speaking  of  religious 
liberty  in  general,  declaring  himself  very  strongly  in 
favour  of  it.  But,  he  added,  it  must  be  exercised  in  an 
impartial  spirit.  "  Every  one  must  be  allowed  to  seek 
salvation  in  his  own  way.  I  shall  propose  that  one 
day,  and  Parliament  will  certainly  approve.  As  a 
matter  of  course,  however,  the  property  of  the  Church 
must  remain  with  the  old  churches  that  acquired  it. 
Whoever  retires  must  make  a  sacrifice  for  his  con- 
viction, or  rather  his  unbelief."  "People  think  little 
the  worse  of  Catholics  for  being  orthodox,  and  have  no 
objection  whatever  to  Jews  being  so.  It  is  altogether 
different  with  Lutherans,  however,  and  that  church  is 
constantly  charged  with  a  spirit  of  persecution  if  it 
rejects  unorthodox  members.  But  it  is  considered 
quite  in  order  that  the  orthodox  should  be  persecuted 
and  scoffed  at  in  the  press  and  in  daily  life." 

After  dinner  the  Chancellor  and  Councillors  took  a 
walk  in  the  garden  from  which  a  large  building 
distinguished  by  a  flag  with  the  Geneva  Cioss  was 
visible  at  a  little  distance  to  the  right.     We  could  see  a 


Aug.  i2,i87o]     A  MYTHOLOGICAL  CONVERSATION  79 


number  of  nuns  at  the  windows  who  were  watching  us 
through  opera  glasses.  It  was  evidently  a  convent  that 
had  been  turned  into  a  hospital.  In  the  evening  one  of 
the  deciphering  clerks  expressed  great  anxiety  as  to  the 
possibility  of  a  surprise,  and  we  discussed  what  should  be 
done  with  the  portfolios  containing  State  papers  and 
ciphers  in  such  circumstances.  I  tried  to  reassure  them, 
promising  to  do  my  utmost  either  to  save  or  destroy  the 
papers,  should  necessity  arise. 

There  was  no  occasion  for  anxiety.  The  night 
passed  quietly.  Next  morning  as  we  were  at  lunch  a 
green  Feldjdgcr,  or  Royal  Courier,  arrived  with  dis- 
patches from  Berlin.  Although  such  messengers  usually 
make  rapid  progress,  this  one  had  not  travelled  any 
quicker  than  I  had  done  in  my  fear  to  arrive  too  late. 
He  left  on  Monday,  the  8  th  of  August,  and  had  several 
times  taken  a  special  conveyance,  yet  he  had  spent 
nearly  four  days  on  the  way,  as  it  was  now  the  12th.  I 
again  assisted  the  Decipherers.  Afterwards,  while  the 
Minister  was  v/ith  the  King,  I  visited  the  large  and 
beautiful  town  church  wdth  the  Councillors,  the  chaplain 
showing  us  round.  In  the  afternoon,  while  the  Minister 
was  out  for  a  ride,  we  inspected  the  Prussian  artillery 
park  on  a  neighbouring  height. 

We  dined  at  four,  on  the  Chancellor's  return.  He 
had  ridden  a  long  way  in  order  to  see  his  two  sons,  who 
were  serving  as  privates  in  a  regiment  of  dragoon  guards, 
but  found  that  the  German  cavalry  had  already  pushed 
forward  towards  the  upper  reaches  of  the  Moselle.  He 
was  in  excellent  spirits,  evidently  owiug  to  the  good  for- 
tune which  continued  to  favour  our  cause.  In  the  course 
of  the  conversation,  which  turned  on  mythology,  the  Chief 
said  he  could  never  endure  Apollo,  who  flayed  Marsyas 
out  of  conceit  and  envy,  and  slew  the  children  of  Niobe 


8o  ALARM  IN  PARIS  [Aug.  13, 1870 

for  similar  reasons.  "He  is  the  genuine  type  of  a 
Frenchman,  one  who  cannot  bear  that  another  should 
play  the  flute  better  than,  or  as  well  as,  himself."  Nor 
was  Apollo's  manner  of  dealing  with  the  Trojans  to  the 
Count's  taste.  The  straightforward  Vulcan  would  have 
been  his  man,  or,  better  still,  Neptune — perhaps  because 
of  the  Quos  ego  \ — but  he  did  not  say. 

After  rising  from  table  we  had  good  news  to  telegraph 
to  Berlin  for  circulation  throughout  the  whole  country, 
namely,  that  there  were  ten  thousand  prisoners  in  our 
hands  on  the  7th  of  August,  and  that  a  great  effect  had 
been  produced  on  the  enemy  by  the  victory  at 
Saarbrueck.  Somewhat  later  we  had  further  satisfactory 
particulars  to  send  home.  The  Minister  of  Finance  in 
Paris,  evidently  in  consequence  of  the  rapid  advance  of 
the  German  forces,  had  invited  the  French  people  to 
deposit  their  gold  in  the  Bank  of  France  instead  of  keep- 
ing it  in  their  houses. 

There  was  also  some  talk  of  a  proposed  proclamation 
forbidding  and  finally  abolishing  the  conscription  in  the 
districts  occupied  by  the  German  troops.  We  also  heard 
from  Madrid  that  the  Montpensier  party,  some  politi- 
cians belonging  to  the  Liberal  Union  such  as  Rios  Rosas 
and  Topete,  as  well  as  various  other  party  leaders,  were 
exerting  every  effort  to  bring  about  the  immediate  con- 
vocation of  the  representative  assembly  in  order  that  the 
Provisional  Government  should  be  put  an  end  to  by  the 
election  of  a  King.  The  Due  de  Montpensier,  whom 
they  had  in  view  as  a  candidate,  was  already  in  the 
Spanish  capital.  The  Government,  however,  obstinately 
opposed  this  plan. 

Early  next  morning  we  broke  up  our  quarters  and 
started  for  the  small  town  of  Falquemont,  which  we  now 
call  Falkenberg.     The   road   was    thronged   with   long 


Aug.  13,  1870]         THE  ARMY  ON  THE  MARCH  81 

lines  of  carts,  artillery,  ambulances,  military  police,  and 
couriers.  While  some  detachments  of  infantry  marched 
along  the  highway,  others  crossed  the  stubble  fields  to 
the  right,  being  guided  by  wisps  of  straw  tied  to  poles 
stuck  in  the  ground.  Now  and  then  we  saw  men  fall 
out  of  the  ranks  and  others  lying  in  the  furrows,  fagged 
out,  while  a  pitiless  August  sun  glared  down  from  a  cloud- 
less sky.  Thick  yellow  clouds  of  dust  raised  by  the 
marching  of  the  troops  followed  us  into  Falkenberg,  a 
place  of  about  two  thousand  inhabitants,  where  I  put  up 
at  the  house  of  the  baker,  Schmidt.  We  lost  sight  of 
the  Minister  in  the  crowd  and  dust,  and  I  only  afterwards 
ascertained  that  he  had  gone  on  to  see  the  King  at  the 
village  of  Herny.  The  march  of  the  troops  through  the 
town  continued  almost  uninterruptedly  the  whole  day. 
A  Saxon  regiment,  which  was  stationed  quite  near  us, 
frequently  sent  their  caterers  to  our  baker  for  bread,  but 
the  supply  was  soon  exhausted  owing  to  the  enormous 
demand. 

In  the  afternoon  some  Prussian  hussars  brought  in  a 
number  of  prisoners  in  a  cart,  including  a  Turco  who  had 
exchanged  his  fez  for  a  civilian's  hat.  In  another  part 
of  the  town  we  witnessed  a  brawl  between  a  shopman  and 
one  of  the  female  camp-followers  who  had  stolen  some  of 
his  goods,  which  she  was  obliged  to  restore.  So  far  as  I 
could  see,  our  people  always  paid  for  what  they  asked, 
sometimes  doing  even  more. 

The  people  where  I  lodged  were  very  polite  and 
good  humoured.  Both  husband  and  wife  spoke  a 
German  dialect,  which  was  occasionally  helped  out  with 
French  words.  From  the  sacred  pictures  which  were 
hung  on  the  walls  they  appeared  to  be  Catholics.  I 
had  an  opportunity  later  on  of  doing  them  a  small  ser- 
vice, when  some  of  our  soldiers  insisted  willy  nilly  upon 
VOL.  I  G 


82  BISMARCK  AND  1866  [Aug.  14,  1870 

a  supply  of  bread,  wliicli  the  baker  was  unable  to 
give  them,  as  there  were  only  two  or  three  loaves  in  the 
shop.  But  I  must  do  my  countrymen  the  justice  to 
say  that  they  wanted  the  food  badly,  and  were  willing 
to  pay  for  it.  I  proposed  a  compromise,  which  was 
accepted  ;  each  soldier  was  at  once  to  get  a  good  slice 
and  as  much  as  ever  he  required  next  morning. 

On  Sunday,  the  14th  of  August,  after  luncheon,  we 
followed  the  Minister  to  Herny.  He  had  taken  up  his 
quarters  in  a  whitewashed  peasant's  house,  a  little  off 
the  High  Street,  where  his  window  opened  upon  a 
dung-hill.  As  the  house  was  pretty  large  we  all  joined 
him  there.  Count  Hatzfeldt's  room  also  served  as  our 
office.  The  King  had  his  quarters  at  the  parish  priest's, 
opposite  the  venerable  old  church.  The  village  con- 
sisted of  one  long  wide  street,  with  some  good 
municipal  buildings.  At  the  railway  station  we  found 
everything  in  the  wildest  confusion,  the  whole  place 
littered  with  torn  books,  papers,  &c.  Some  soldiers 
kept  watch  over  two  French  prisoners.  For  several 
hours  after  4  p.m.  we  heard  the  heavy  thunder  of  cannon 
in  the  direction  of  Metz.  At  tea  the  Minister  said  : 
"  I  little  thought  a  month  ago  that  I  should  be  taking 
tea  with  you,  gentlemen,  to-day  in  a  farmhouse  at 
Herny."  Coming  to  speak  of  the  Due  de  Grammont, 
the  Count  wondered  that,  on  seeing  the  failure  of  his 
stupid  policy  against  us,  he  had  not  joined  the  army  in 
order  to  expiate  his  blunders.  He  was  quite  big  and 
strong  enough  to  serve  as  a  soldier.  "  I  should  have 
acted  differently  in  1866  if  things  had  not  gone  so  well. 
I  should  have  at  once  enlisted.  Otherwise  I  could 
never  have  shown  myself  to  the  world  again." 

I  was  frequently  called  to  the  Minister's  room  to 
receive  instructions.      Our  illustrated  papers   were  to 


Aug.  15,  i87o]     INSTRUCTIONS  FOR  THE  PRESS  83 

publish  pictures  of  the  charge  at  Spichernberg,  and  also 
to  deny  the  statement  of  the  Constitutionnel  that  the 
Prussians  had  burnt  down  evervthinor  on  their  march, 
leaving  nothing  but  ruins  behind  them.     We  could  say 
with  a  clear  conscience  that  we  had  not  observed  the 
least  sign  of  this.     It  was  also  thought  well  to  reply  to 
the  Neue  Freie  Presse,  which  had  hitherto  been  well 
disposed  towards   us,    but   had   now   adopted    another 
policy,  possibly  because  it  had  lost  some   subscribers 
who  objected  to  its  Prussophile  tone,  or  perhaps  there 
was  somethinor  in  the  rumour  that  the  Franco-Hungarian 
party  intended  to  purchase  it.     The  Chancellor,  in  giv- 
ing instructions  respecting  another  article  of  the  Con- 
stitutionnel, concluded  as   follows  :     "  Say   that    there 
never  was  any  question  in  the  Cabinet  Council  of  a 
cession   of  Saarbrueck  to  France.      The  matter  never 
went  beyond  the  stage  of  confidential  inquiries,  and  it 
is  self-evident  that  a  national  Minister,  inspired  by  the 
national  spirit,  could  never  have  dreamt  of  such  a  course. 
There  might,  however,  have  been  some  slight  basis  for 
the  rumour.     A  misunderstanding  or  a  distortion  of  the 
fact   that  previous   to    1864    the    question    was  raised 
whether  it  would  not  be  desirable  to  sell  the  coal  mines 
at  Saarbrueck,  which  are  State  property,  to  a  company. 
I  wanted  to  meet  the  expenses  of  the  Schleswig-Holstein 
war  in  this  way.     But  the  proposal   came  to  nothing, 
owing  to  the  King's  objections  to  the  transaction." 

On  Monday,  August  15th,  about  6  a.m.,  the  Minister 
drove  off  in  his  carriage,  accompanied  by  Count  Bis- 
marck-Bohlen,  and  followed  on  horseback  by  Herr 
Abeken,  Herr  von  Keudell,  and  Count  Hatzfeldt.  The 
rest  of  us  remained  behind,  where  we  had  plenty  of 
work  on  hand,  and  could  make  ourselves  useful  in  other 
ways.     Several  detachments  of  infantry  passed  through 

G  2 


THE  A  TTITUDE  OF  THE  INHABITANTS    [Aug.  1 5, 1870 


the  village  during  the  day,  amongst  them  being  three 
Prussian  regiments  and  a  number  of  Pomeranians, 
for  the  most  part  tall,  handsome  men.  The  bands 
played  "  Heil  dir  im  Siegerkranz,"  and  "  Ich  bin  ein 
Preusse."  One  could  see  in  the  men's  eyes  the  fearful 
thirst  from  which  they  were  suffering.  We  speedily 
organised  a  fire  brigade  with  pails  and  jugs  and  gave  as 
many  as  possible  a  drink  of  water  as  they  marched  by. 
They  could  not  stop.  Some  took  a  mouthful  in  the 
palms  of  their  hands,  whilst  others  filled  the  tin  cans 
which  they  carried  with  them,  so  that  at  least  a  few  had 
some  momentary  relief. 

Our  landlord,  Matthiote,  knew  a  little  German,  but 
his  wife  only  spoke  the  somewhat  unintelligible  French 
dialect  of  this  part  of  Lorraine.  They  were  thought  not 
to  be  too  friendly  towards  us,  but  the  Minister  had  not 
observed  it.  He  had  only  seen  the  husband,  and  said 
he  was  not  a  bad  fellow.  "  He  asked  me  as  he  brought  in 
the  dinner  if  I  would  try  his  wine.  I  found  it  very 
tolerable,  but  on  my  offering  to  pay  for  it  he  declined, 
and  would  only  accept  payment  for  the  food.  He  in- 
quired as  to  the  future  frontier,  and  expected  that  they 
would  be  better  off  in  the  matter  of  taxation." 

We  saw  little  of  the  other  inhabitants  of  the  village. 
Those  we  met  were  polite  and  communicative.  An  old 
peasant  woman  whom  I  asked  for  a  light  for  my  cigar 
led  me  into  her  room  and  showed  me  a  photograph  of 
her  son  in  a  French  uniform.  Bursting  into  tears  she 
reproached  the  Emperor  with  the  war.  Her  pauvre 
garfon  was  certainly  dead,  and  she  was  inconsolable. 

The  Councillors  returned  after  3  o'clock,  the  Minister 
himself  coming  in  a  little  later.  In  the  meantime  we 
were  joined  by  Count  Hencel,  a  portly  gentleman 
with     a    dark    beard,     Herr     Bamberger,    a    member 


Aug.  15,  1870]  A  RUSSIAN  ANECDOTE  85 

of  the  E-eichstag  whom  Count  Bohlen  v^as  accustomed 
to  call  the  "  Eed  Jew,"  and  a  Herr  von  Olberg,  who 
was  to  be  appointed  to  an  administrative  position  of 
some  kind.  We  began  to  feel  ourselves  masters  of 
the  conquered  country  and  to  make  our  arrange- 
ments accordingly.  As  to  the  portion  which  we  at 
that  time  proposed  to  retain  permanently  a  telegram  to 
St.  Petersburg  which  I  helped  to  cipher  said  that  if 
it  were  the  will  of  Providence  we  intended  to  annex 
Alsace. 

We  heard  at  dinner  that  the  King  and  the  Chan- 
cellor, accompanied  by  General  Steinmetz,  had  made  a 
reconnaissance  which  took  them  within  about  three 
English  miles  of  Metz.  The  French  troops  outside  the 
fortress  had  been  driven  into  the  city  and  forts  on 
the  previous  day  by  Steinmetz's  impetuous  attack  at 
Courcelles. 

In  the  evening,  as  we  sat  on  a  bench  outside  the 
door,  the  Minister  joined  us  for  a  moment.  He  asked 
me  for  a  cigar,  but  Councillor  Taglioni,  the  King's 
decipherer,  was  quicker  than  I,  which  was  a  pity,  as 
mine  were  much  better.  At  tea  the  Chancellor  men- 
tioned in  the  course  of  conversation  that  on  two 
occasions  he  had  been  in  danger  of  being  shot  by  a 
sentry,  once  at  San  Sebastian  and  another  time  at 
Schluesselburg.  From  this  we  learned  that  he  also 
understood  a  little  Spanish.  Passing  from  the  Schluessel- 
burg story,  he  came  to  relate  the  following  anecdote, 
which,  however,  I  was  unable  to  hear  quite  clearly,  and 
so  cannot  vouch  whether  it  occurred  to  the  Minister 
himself  or  to  some  one  else.  One  day  the  Count  was 
walking  in  the  Summer  Garden  at  St.  Petersburg,  and 
met  the  Emperor,  with  whom,  as  a  Minister  in  high 
favour,  his  relations  were  somewhat  unreserved.     The 


86         ANTI-GERMAN  FEELING  IN  HOLLAND      [Aug.  1 6, 1 870 

two,  after  strolling  on  together  for  awhile,  saw  a  sentry 
posted  in  the  middle  of  a  grass  plot.  Bismarck  took 
the  liberty  to  ask  what  he  was  doing  there.  The 
Emperor  did  not  know,  and  questioned  the  aide  de 
camp,  who  was  also  unable  to  explain.  The  aide  de 
camp  was  then  sent  to  ask  the  sentry.  His  answer 
was,  "  It  has  been  ordered,"  a  reply  which  was  repeated 
by  every  one  of  whom  the  aide  de  camp  inquired.  The 
archives  were  searched  in  vain — a  sentry  had  always 
been  posted  there.  At  last  an  old  footman  remembered 
that  his  father  had  told  him  that  the  Empress  Catherine 
had  once  seen  an  early  snowdrop  on  that  spot,  and  had 
given  instructions  that  it  should  not  be  plucked.  They 
could  find  no  better  way  of  preserving  it  than  by  placing 
a  sentry  to  guard  it,  who  was  afterwards  kept  on  as  a 
matter  of  habit.  The  anti-German  feeling  in  Holland 
and  its  causes  was  then  referred  to.  It  was  thought  to 
be  partly  due  to  the  circumstance  that  Van  Zuyler, 
when  he  was  Dutch  Minister  at  Berlin,  had  made  him- 
self unpleasant,  and  consequently  did  not  receive  as 
much  consideration  as  he  desired,  so  that  he  possibly 
left  us  in  ill-humour. 

On  the  16th  of  August,  at  9.30  a.m.,  we  started  for 
Pont  a  Mousson.  On  the  excellent  high  road  to  that 
town  we  passed  through  several  villages  with  fine 
buildings,  containing  the  public  offices  and  schools.  The 
whole  way  was  brightened  by  detachments  of  soldiers, 
horse  and  foot,  and  a  great  variety  of  vehicles.  Here 
and  there  we  also  saw  small  encampments.  A  little  after 
3  o'clock  we  reached  our  destination,  a  town  of  about 
eight  thousand  inhabitants.  Passing  the  market-place, 
where  a  regiment  of  Saxon  infantry  were  bivouacked, 
some  of  them  lying  on  the  ground  on  bundles  ot  straw, 
we  turned  into  the  Rue  St.  Laurent.    Here  the  Chancellor, 


Aug.  i6,  1870]      HEA  VY  FIGHTING  NEAR  METZ  87 

with  three  of  the  Couucillors,  took  up  their  residence  at 
the  corner  of  Rue  Raugraf  in  a  little  chateau  overgrown 
with  red  creepers.  The  rest  of  the  party  lived  a  few 
doors  off.  I  slept  with  Saint  Blanquart  in  a  room  which 
was  a  veritable  museum  of  natural  history  and  ethnology, 
being  filled  with  the  most  varied  trophies  from  all  parts 
of  the  world. 

After  a  hasty  toilette  we  returned  to  the  office.  On 
our  way  we  observed  a  number  of  notices  posted  on  the 
walls,  one  announcing  our  victory  of  the  fourteenth, 
another  respecting  the  abolition  of  the  conscription,  and 
a  third  by  the  Mayor,  apparently  in  connection  with 
some  attacks  by  civilians  on  our  troops,  warning  the 
inhabitants  to  maintain  a  prudent  attitude.  There  was 
also  an  order  issued  by  our  people  strictly  enjoining  the 
population  to  keep  lights  in  their  windows  at  night, 
and  to  leave  the  doors  of  houses  and  shops  open,  and 
to  deliver  up  all  arms  at  the  Town  Hall. 

During  the  greater  part  of  the  afternoon  we  again 
heard  the  distant  roar  of  cannon,  and  ascertained  at 
dinner  that  there  had  been  renewed  fighting  near  Metz. 
Some  one  remarked  that  perhaps  it  would  not  be  possible 
to  prevent  the  French  retiring  to  Verdun.  The  Minister 
replied,  smiling,  "  That  hardened  reprobate  Molk 
(Moltke)  says  it  would  be  no  misfortune,  as  they  would 
then  be  delivered  all  the  more  surely  into  our  hands  " — 
which  must  mean  that  we  could  surround  and  annihilate 
them  while  they  were  retreating.  Of  the  other  remarks 
made  by  the  Chancellor  on  this  occasion  I  may  mention 
his  reference  to  the  "  small  black  Saxons,  who  looked  so 
intelligent "  and  who  pleased  him  so  much  on  his  paying 
them  a  visit  the  day  before.  These  were  cither  the 
dark  green  Chasseurs  or  the  lOStli  Regiment  which  wore 
the  same  coloured  uniform.      "  They  seem  to  be  sharp, 


88  THE  CHASSEPOTS  AT  MARS  LA   TOUR    [Aug.  17, 187 

ready  fellows,"  he  added,   "  and  the  fact  ought  to  be 
mentioned  in  the  newspapers." 

On  the  following  night  we  were  awakened  several 
times  by  the  steady  tramp  of  infantry  and  the  rumbling 
of  heavy  wheels  as  they  rolled  over  the  rough  pavement. 
We  heard  next  morning  that  they  were  Hessians.  The 
Minister  started  shortly  after  4  a.m.,  intending  to  pro- 
ceed towards  Metz,  where  an  important  battle  was 
expected  either  that  day  or  the  next.  As  it  appeared 
probable  that  I  should  have  little  to  do  I  availed  myself 
of  the  opportunity  to  take  a  walk  in  the  environs  with 
Willisch.  Going  up  stream  we  came  upon  a  pontoon 
bridge  erected  by  the  Saxons,  who  had  collected  there  a 
large  number  of  conveyances,  amongst  others  some  carts 
from  villages  near  Dresden.  We  swam  across  the  clear 
deep  river  and  back  again. 

On  returning  to  the  bureau  in  the  Kue  Kaugraf  we 
found  that  the  Chancellor  had  not  yet  arrived.  We 
had  news,  however,  of  the  battle  which  had  been  fought 
the  day  before  to  the  west  of  Metz.  There  were  heavy 
losses  on  our  side,  and  it  was  only  with  great  difficulty 
that  Bazaine  was  prevented  from  breaking  through  our 
lines.  It  was  understood  that  the  village  of  Mars  la 
Tour  was  the  point  at  which  the  conflict  had  raged 
most  violently.  The  leaden  rain  of  the  chassepots  was 
literally  like  a  hailstorm.  One  of  the  cuirassier  regi- 
ments, we  were  told,  with  the  exaggeration  which  is  not 
unusual  in  such  cases,  was  almost  utterly  destroyed  and 
the  dragoon  guards  had  also  sufi'ered  severely.  Not  a 
single  division  escaped  without  heavy  losses.  To-day, 
however,  we  had  superior  numbers  as  the  French  had 
had  yesterday,  and  if  the  latter  attempted  another  sortie 
we  might  expect  to  be  victorious. 

It  did  not,  however,  appear  certain,  and  we  were 


Aug.  17,  1870]      COUNT  HERBERT  WOUNDED  89 

accordingly  somewhat  uneasy.  We  could  not  sit  still 
or  think  steadily,  and,  as  in  fever,  we  were  oppressed 
by  the  same  ideas,  which  returned  again  and  again.  We 
walked  to  the  market  and  then  to  the  bridge,  where  we 
saw  the  wounded,  who  were  now  gradually  coming  in, 
those  with  light  injuries  on  foot  and  the  others  in 
ambulance  cars.  On  the  road  towards  Metz  we  met  a 
batch  of  over  120  prisoners.  They  were  for  the  most 
part  small,  poor-looking  specimens  ;  but  there  were  also 
amongst  them  some  tall,  broad-shouldered  fellows  from 
the  guards,  who  could  be  recognised  by  the  white 
facings  of  their  tunics.  Then  once  more  to  the  market- 
place and  around  the  garden  behind  the  house,  where  a 
dog  lies  buried  under  a  tombstone  with  the  following 
touching  inscription  : — 

GiRAKD   AUBERT   ^PITAPHE   A   SA   CHIENNE. 

Tci  tu  gis,  ma  vieille  amie, 

Tu  n'es  done  plus  pour  mes  vieux  jours. 

O  toi,  ma  Diane  cherie, 

Je  te  pleurerai  toujours. 

At  length,  about  6  o'clock,  the  Chancellor  returned. 
No  great  battle  had  taken  place  that  day,  but  it  was 
highly  probable  that  an  engagement  would  occur  on  the 
morrow.  The  Chief  told  us  at  dinner  that  he  had 
visited  his  eldest  son,  Count  Herbert,  in  the  field 
ambulance  at  Mariaville,  where  he  was  lying  in  con- 
sequence of  a  bullet  wound  in  the  thigh,  which  he  had 
received  during  the  general  cavalry  charge  at  Mars  la 
Tour.  After  riding  about  for  some  time  the  Ministei 
at  length  found  his  son  in  a  farmhouse  with  a  consider 
able  number  of  other  wounded  soldiers.  They  were  in 
charge  of  a  surgeon,  who  was  unable  to  obtain  a  su})ply 
of  water,  and  who  scrupled  to  take  the  turkeys  and 
chickens  that  were  running  about  the  yard  for  the  use 


90  GENERAL  SHERIDAN  [Aug.  i8,  1870 

of  his  patients.  "  He  said  he  could  not,"  added  the 
Minister,  "and  all  our  arguments  were  in  vain.  I  then 
threatened  to  shoot  the  poultry  with  my  revolver  and 
afterwards  gave  him  twenty  francs  to  pay  for  fifteen. 
At  last  I  remembered  that  I  was  a  Prussian  General, 
and  ordered  him  to  do  as  I  told  him,  whereupon  he 
obeyed  me.  I  had,  however,  to  look  for  the  water 
myself  and  to  have  it  fetched  in  barrels." 

In  the  meantime  the  American  General  Sheridan 
had  arrived  in  the  town  and  asked  for  an  interview 
with  the  Chancellor.  He  had  come  from  Chicago,  and 
lodged  at  the  Croix  Blanc  in  the  market-place.  At  the 
desire  of  the  Minister  I  called  upon  General  Sheridan 
and  informed  him  that  Count  Bismarck  would  be 
pleased  to  see  him  in  the  course  of  the  evening.  The 
general  was  a  small,  corpulent  gentleman  of  about 
forty-five,  with  dark  moustache  and  chin  tuft,  and 
spoke  the  purest  Yankee  dialect.  He  was  accompanied 
by  his  aide  de  camp,  Forsythe,  and  a  journalist  named 
MacLean,  who  served  as  an  interpreter,  acting  at  the 
same  time  as  war  correspondent  for  the  New  York 
World. 

During  the  night  further  strong  contingents  of 
troops  marched  through  the  town — Saxons,  as  we  as- 
certained next  day.  In  the  morning  we  heard  that  the 
King  and  Chancellor  had  gone  off  at  3  a.m.  A  battle 
was  being  fought  on  about  the  same  ground  as  that  of 
the  16th,  and  it  appears  as  if  this  engagement  were  to 
prove  decisive.  It  will  be  easily  understood  that  we 
were  still  more  excited  than  we  had  been  during  the 
last  few  days.  Uneasy,  and  impatient  for  particulars 
of  what  was  passing,  we  started  in  the  direction  of 
Metz,  going  some  four  kilometres  from  Pont  a  Mo^isson, 
suffering    both    mentally     and    physically,    from    our 


Aug.  19,  i87o]       WE  DRIVE  TO  THE  BATTLEFIELD  91 

anxiety  and  suspense  as  well  as  from  the  sweltering 
heat  of  a  windless  day  and  a  blazing  sky.  We  met 
numbers  of  the  less  severely  wounded  coming  towards 
the  town,  singly,  in  couples,  and  in  large  companies. 
Some  still  carried  their  rifles,  while  others  leant  upon 
sticks.  One  had  the  red  cape  of  a  French  cavalryman 
thrown  over  his  shoulders.  They  had  fought  two  days 
before  at  Mars  la  Tour  and  Gorze.  They  had  only 
heard  rumours  of  this  day's  battle,  and  these,  good  and 
bad  as  they  happened  to  be,  were  soon  circulated  in  an 
exaggerated  form  throughout  the  town.  The  good 
news  at  length  seemed  to  get  the  upper  hand,  although 
late  in  the  evening  we  had  still  heard  nothing  definite. 
We  dined  without  our  Chief,  for  whom  we  waited  in 
vain  until  midnight.  Later  on  we  heard  that  he,  ac- 
companied by  Sheridan  and  Count  Bismarck-Bohlen, 
was  with  the  King  at  Eezonville. 

On  Friday,  August  the  19th,  when  we  ascertained 
for  certain  that  the  Germans  had  been  victorious, 
Abeken,  Keudell,  Hatzfeldt  and  I  drove  to  the  battle- 
field. At  Gorze  the  Councillors  got  out,  intending  to 
proceed  further  on  horseback.  The  narrow  road  was 
blocked  with  all  sorts  of  conveyances,  so  that  it  was 
impossible  for  our  carriage  to  pass.  From  the  same 
direction  as  ourselves  came  carts  with  hay,  straw,  wood, 
and  baggage,  while  ammunition  waggons  and  vehicles 
conveying  the  wounded  were  coming  the  other  way. 
The  latter  were  being  moved  into  the  houses,  nearly  all 
of  which  were  turned  into  hospitals  and  were  distin- 
guished by  the  Geneva  cross.  At  almost  every 
window  we  could  see  men  with  their  heads  or  arms  in 
bandages. 

After  about  an  hour's  delay  we  were  able  to  move 
slowly  forward.     The  road  to  the    right  not  far  from 


92  THE  FIRST  TRACES  OF  THE  BA  TTLE      [Aug.  19, 1 870 

Gorze  would  have  taken  us  in  little  over  half  an  hour 
to  Eezonville,  where  I  was  to  meet  the  Minister  and 
our  horsemen.  My  map,  however,  failed  to  give  me 
any  guidance,  and  I  was  afraid  of  going  too  near  Metz. 
I  therefore  followed  the  high  road  further,  and  passing 
a  farm  where  the  house,  barn  and  stables  were  full  of 
wounded,  we  came  to  the  village  of  Mars  la  Tour. 

Immediately    behind    Gorze  we   had   already    met 

traces  of  the  battle, — pits  dug  in  the  earth  by  shells, 

branches  torn  off  by  shot  and  some  dead  horses.     As 

we  went  on  we  came  upon  the  latter  more  frequently, 

occasionally  two  or  three  together,  and  at  one  place  a 

group  of  eight  carcases.     Most  of  them  were  fearfully 

swollen,  with  their  legs  in  the  air,  while  their  heads  lay 

slack  on  the  ground.     There   was  an   encampment  of 

Saxon  troops  in  Mars  la  Tour.     The  village  seemed  to 

have  suffered  little  from  the  engagement  of  the   16th. 

Only  one  house  was  burned  down.     I  asked  a  lieutenant 

of  Uhlans  where   Eezonville  was.     He  did  not  know. 

Where  was  the  King  ?     "  At  a  place  about  two  hours 

from  here,"    he    said,    *'in    that    direction," — pointing 

towards  the  east.     A  peasant  woman  having  directed 

us  the  same  way,  we  took  that  road,  which  brought  us 

after  a  time  to  the  village  of  Vionville.     Shortly  before 

reaching  this  place  I  saw  for  the  first  time  one  of  the 

soldiers  who  had  fallen  in  the  late  battle,  a  Prussian 

musketeer.     His  features  were  as  dark  as  those  of  a 

Turco,  and  were  fearfully  bloated.     All  the  houses  in 

the  village  were  full  of  men  who  were  severely  wounded. 

German    and    French   assistant-surgeons   and   hospital 

attendants,  all  wearing  the  Geneva  cross,  were   busy 

moving  from  place  to  place. 

I   decided  to  wait  there  for  the  Minister  and  the 
Councillors,  as  I  believed  they  must  certainly  pass  that 


Aug.  19,  1870]  THE  HORRORS  OF  WAR  93 

way  soon.  As  I  went  towards  the  battlefield  through 
a  side  street  I  saw  a  human  leg  lying  in  a  ditch,  half 
covered  with  a  bundle  of  blood-stained  rags.  Some 
four  hundred  paces  from  the  village  were  two  parallel 
pits  about  three  hundred  feet  in  length,  and  neither 
wide  nor  deep,  at  which  the  grave  diggers  were  still 
working.  Near  by  had  been  collected  a  great  mass  of 
German  and  French  dead.  Some  of  the  bodies  were 
half  naked,  but  most  of  them  were  still  in  uniform. 
All  were  of  a  dark  grey  colour  and  were  fearfully 
swollen  from  the  heat.  There  might  have  been  one 
hundred  and  fifty  corpses  in  all,  and  others  were  being 
constantly  unloaded  from  the  carts.  Doubtless,  many 
had  already  been  buried.  Further  on  in  the  direction 
of  Metz  the  ground  rose  slightly,  and  there  in  particular 
great  numbers  appeared  to  have  fallen.  The  ground 
was  everywhere  covered  with  French  caps,  Prussian 
helmets,  knapsacks,  arms,  uniforms,  underclothing, 
shoes,  and  paper.  Here  and  there  in  the  furrows  of  a 
potato  field  lay  single  bodies,  one  with  a  whole  leg  torn 
away,  another  with  half  the  head  blown  off,  while  some 
had  the  right  hand  stretched  out  stiffly  pointing  towards 
the  sky.  There  were  also  a  few  single  graves,  marked 
with  a  chassepot  stuck  in  the  ground  or  with  a  cross 
made  from  the  wood  of  a  cigar  box  roughly  tied  together. 
The  effluvium  was  very  noticeable,  and  at  times,  when 
the  wind  came  from  the  direction  of  a  heap  of  dead 
horses,  it  became  unendurable. 

It  was  time  to  return  to  the  carriage,  and  besides  I 
had  seen  quite  enough  of  the  battlefield.  I  took  another 
way  back,  but  I  was  again  obliged  to  pass  further  masses 
of  the  dead,  this  time  all  French.  Near  some  of  the 
bodies  lay  packets  of  letters  that  had  been  carried  in 


94  NOBLE  FAMILIES  IN  MOURNING     [Aug.  19,  1870 


their  knapsacks.  1  brought  some  of  these  with  me  as  a 
memento,  amongst  them  being  two  letters  in  German 
from  one  Anastasia  Stampf,  of  Scherrweiler,  near 
Schlettstadt.  These  I  found  lying  by  a  French  soldier 
who  had  been  stationed  at  Caen  shortly  before  the 
outbreak  of  the  war.  One  of  them,  in  indifferent 
spelling,  was  dated  "  The  25th  of  the  Hay  Month,  1870," 
and  concluded  with  the  words,  "We  constantly  commend 
thee  to  the  protection  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  !  " 

It   was    4  o'clock   when    I   got   back,    and   as    the 
Minister  had  not  arrived,  we  returned  to  Gorze.     Here 
we  met  Keudell,  who,  with  Abeken  and  Count  Hatzfeldt 
had  called  upon  the  Chief  at  Eezonville.     During  the 
battle  of  the  18th  instant,  which  was  decided  at  Grave- 
lotte,  the  Minister  had,  together  with  the  King,  ventured 
a  considerable  distance  towards  the  front,  so  that  for  a 
time  both  of  them  were  in  some  danger.     Bismarck  had 
afterwards   with    his   own   hands  taken  water  to    the 
wounded.       At     9    p.m.   I  saw  him    again    safe    and 
sound  at  Pont  a  Mousson,  where   we  all  took  supper 
with  him.     Naturally,  the  conversation  turned  for  the 
most  part  on  the  last  two  battles  and  the  resulting  gains 
and  losses.    The  French  had  fallen  in  huge  masses.    The 
Minister  had  seen  our  artillery  mow  down  whole  lines 
of  their  guards  near  Gravelotte.     We  had  also  suffered 
severely.     Only  the  losses  of  the  16th  of  August  were 
known  up   to    the   present.     "  A    great    many    noble 
Prussian  families  will  go  into  mourning,"  the  Chief  said. 
"  Wesdehlen  and  E-euss  lie  in  their  graves,  Wedell  and 
Finkenstein  are  dead,  Rahdeu  (Lucca's  husband)  is  shot 
through  both  cheeks,  and  a  crowd  of  officers  commanding 
regiments  or  battalions  have  either  fallen  or  are  severely 
wounded.      The    whole    field  near  Mars  la  Tour  was 


Aug.  19,  1870]      "^  SPENDTHRIFT  OF  BLOOD"  95 

yesterday  still  white  and  blue  with  the  bodies  of 
cuirassiers  and  dragoons."  In  explanation  of  this  state- 
ment, we  were  informed  that  near  the  village  referred  to 
there  had  been  a  great  cavalry  charge  upon  the  French, 
who  were  pressing  forward  in  the  direction  of  Verdun. 
This  charge  was  repelled  by  the  enemy's  infantry  in 
Balaclava  fashion,  but  had  so  far  served  its  purpose  that 
the  French  were  kept  in  check  until  reinforcements 
arrived.  The  Chancellor's  two  sons  had  also  gallantly 
ridden  into  that  leaden  hailstorm,  the  elder  receiving 
no  less  than  three  bullets,  one  passing  through  the 
breast  of  his  tunic,  another  hitting  his  watch,  and  the 
third  lodging  in  his  thigh.  The  younger  appears  to 
have  escaped  unhurt.  The  Chief  related,  evidently 
with  some  pride,  how  Count  Bill  rescued  two  comrades 
who  had  lost  their  horses,  dragging  them  out  of  the 
iri^lee  in  his  powerful  grasp  and  riding  off  with  them. 
Still  more  German  blood  was  shed  on  the  18th,  but  we 
secured  the  victory,  and  obtained  the  object  of  our 
sacrifices.  That  evening  Bazaine's  army  had  finally 
retired  to  Metz,  and  even  French  ofiicers  whom  we  had 
captured  admitted  that  they  now  believed  their  cause 
was  lost.  The  Saxons,  who  had  made  long  marches  on 
the  two  previous  days,  were  able  to  take  an  important 
part  in  the  battle  near  the  village  of  Saint  Privat. 
They  now  occupied  the  road  to  Thionville,  so  that  Metz 
was  entirely  surrounded  by  our  troops. 

It  appeared  that  the  Chancellor  did  not  quite  approve 
of  the  course  taken  by  the  military  authorities  in  both 
battles.  Among  other  things  he  said  that  Steinmetz 
had  abused  the  really  astounding  gallantry  of  our  men — 
"he  was  a  spendthrift  of  blood."  The  Minister  spoke 
with  violent  indignation  of  the  barbarous  manner  in 
which  the  French  conducted  the  war ;  they  were  said  to 


96  HUNTING  STORIES  [Aug.  20,  1870 

have  fired  upon  the  Geneva  cross  and  even  upon  a  flag 
of  truce. 

Sheridan  seemed  to  have  speedily  got  on  a  friendly 
footing  with  the  Minister,  as  I  was  instructed  to  invite 
him  and  his  two  companions  to  dinner  on  the  following 
evening. 

At  11  o'clock  on  the  20th  of  August  the  Chancellor 
received   a  visit   from    the    Crown    Prince,    who    wrs 
stationed  with  his   troops    about   twenty-five    English 
miles  from  Pont  \  Mousson  on  the  road  from  Nancy  to 
Chalons.       In    the    afternoon    some    twelve    hundred 
prisoners,  including  two  carts  conveying  officers,  passed 
throuoi;h  the  Rue  Notre  Dame  in  charo^e  of  a  detachment 
of  Prussian  cuirassiers.   Sheridan,  Forsy  the  and  MacLean 
dined  that  evening  with  the  Minister,  who  kept  up  a 
lively  conversation  in  good  English  with  the  American 
general.     The  Chief  and  his  American  guests  had  cham- 
pagne and  porter.     The  latter  was  drunk  out  of  pewter 
mugs,  one  of  which  the  Minister  filled  for  me.    I  mention 
this  because  no  one  else  at  table  had  porter,  and  the  gift 
was  particularly  welcome,  as  since  we   left  Saarbrueck 
we  had  had  no  beer.      Sheridan,  who  was  known  as  a 
successful  soldier  on  the  Federal  side  in  the  last  year  of 
the  American  Civil  War,  spoke  a  good  deal.     He  told  us 
of  the  hardships  he  and  his  companions  had  undergone 
during  the  ride  from  the  Kocky  Mountains  to  Chicago, 
of  the  fearful  swarms  of  mosquitoes,  of  a  great  heap  of 
bones  in  California  or  thereabouts  in  which  fossils  were 
found,  and  of  buffalo  and  bear  hunting,  &c.     The  Chan- 
cellor also  told  some  hunting  stories.     One  day  in  Fin- 
land he  found  himself  in  dangerous  proximity  to  a  big 
bear.     It  was  white  with  snow,  and  he  had  barely  been 
able  to  see  it.     "  At  last  I  fired,  however,  and  the  bear 
fell  some  six  paces  from  me.     But  it  was  not  killed,  and 


Aug.2i,  iSyo]    JEALOUSY  AMONG  OUR  GENERALS  9? 

might  get  up  again.  I  knew  what  I  had  to  expect,  and 
so  without  stirring  I  quietly  reloaded,  and  as  soon  as  it 
stirred  I  shot  it  dead." 

We  were  very  busy  on  the  forenoon  of  the  21st  of 
August,  preparing  reports  and  leading  articles  to  be  for- 
warded to  Grermany.  We  heard  that  the  bearer  of  a  flag 
of  truce  who  was  fired  upon  by  the  French  was  Captain  or 
Major  Verdy,  of  Moltke's  general  staff,  and  that  the  trum- 
peter who  accompanied  him  was  wounded.  Trustworthy 
information  was  received  from  Florence  to  the  effect  that 
Victor  Emmanuel  and  his  Ministers  had,  in  consequence 
of  our  victories,  decided  to  observe  neutrality,  which  up 
to  that  time  was  anything  but  certain.  Now  it  was  at 
last  possible  to  estimate,  at  least  approximately,  the  losses 
of  the  French  at  Courcelles,  Mars  le  Tour,  and  Gravelotte. 
The  Minister  put  them  at  about  50,000  men  during  the 
three  days,  of  whom  about  12,000  were  killed.  He  added  : 
"The  ambition  and  mutual  jealousy  of  some  of  our 
generals  was  to  blame  for  the  severity  of  our  losses. 
That  the  guards  charged  too  soon  was  entirely  due  to 
their  jealousy  of  the  Saxons  who  were  coming  up  behind 
them." 

That  afternoon  I  had  some  talk  with  one  of  the 
dragoon  guards  who  had  been  in  the  charge  on  the 
French  battery  on  the  16th.  He  maintained  that 
besides  Finkenstein  and  Reuss,  the  two  Treskows  were 
also  dead  and  buried ;  and  that  after  the  battle  one 
squadron  had  been  formed  out  of  the  three  squadrons  of 
his  regiment  that  had  been  in  action,  and  one  regiment 
out  of  the  two  dragoon  regiments  that  had  been  engaged. 
He  spoke  very  modestly  about  that  gallant  deed.  "  We 
had  to  charge,"  he  said,  "  in  order  to  prevent  our  artillery 
being  taken  by  the  enemy."  While  I  was  talking  to 
him  some  Saxon  infantry  passed  by  with  a  batch  of 

VOL.    I  H 


98  PRINCE  LUITPOLD'S  SECRET  HOPES     [Aug.  21, 1870 

about  150  prisoners.  I  ascertained  from  the  escort  that 
after  their  long  march  the  Saxons  had  fought  in  the 
battle  near  Roncourt  and  Saint  Privat.  Once  they  had 
charged  with  the  bayonet  and  the  butt  ends  of  their 
rifles.  They  had  lost  a  good  many  officers,  including 
General  Krausshaar. 

As  I  entered  the  room  that  evening  at  tea  time  the 
Chief  said  :  "  How  are  you,  doctor  ?  " 

"  I  thank  your  Excellency,  quite  well." 
"  Have  you  seen  something  of  what  has  been  going 
on  ? " 

"Yes,  your  Excellency,  the  battlefield  near  Vionville." 
"  It  is  a  pity  you  were  not  with  us  to  share  our 
adventures  on  the  18th." 

The  Chancellor  then  went  on  to  give  us  a  full  account 
of  his  experiences  during  the  last  hours  of  the  battle  and 
the  following  night.  1  shall  give  these  and  other  par- 
ticulars later  on,  as  I  heard  them  from  the  Minister. 
Here  I  will  only  mention  that  the  King  had  ventured 
too  far  to  the  front,  which  Bismarck  thought  was  not 
right.  Referring  to  our  men,  the  American  General 
Sheridan  said  :  **  Your  infantry  is  the  best  in  the 
world  ;  but  it  was  wrong  of  your  generals  to  advance 
their  cavalry  as  they  did."  I  may  further  mention  that 
Bohlen  in  the  course  of  the  conversation  said  to  the 
Chancellor  :  "  Did  you  hear  how  the  Bavarian  muttered 
when  the  result  seemed  doubtful — *  Things  look  bad  ! 
It's  a  bad  case  ! ' — and  was  obviously  delighted  to  think 
we  were  going  to  be  beaten  1  "  The  Bavarian  referred 
to  was  Prince  Luitpold.  The  name  of  General  Steinmetz 
then  came  up.  The  Chancellor  said  that  he  was  brave, 
but  self-willed  and  excessively  vain.  Small  and  slight 
of  figure,  when  he  came  into  the  Diet  he  always  stood 
near  the  President's  chair  so  as  to  be  noticed.     He  used 


Aug.22,  i87o]    ALSACE  AND  METZ  TO  BE  RETAINED         99 

to  attract  attention  by  pretending  to  be  very  busy  taking 
notes  of  what  went  on,  as  if  he  were  following  the  debate 
with  great  care.  *'  He  evidently  thought  the  newspapers 
would  mention  it,  and  praise  his  zeal.  If  I  am  not 
mistaken  his  calculation  proved  correct." 

On  Monday,  the  22nd  of  August,  I  wrote  in  my 
diary;  ''Called  to  the  Chief  at  10*30  a.m.  He  asked 
first  after  my  health  and  whether  I  also  had  been 
attacked  by  dysentery.  He  had  had  a  bad  time  of  it 
the  night  before.  The  Count  down  with  dysentery  ! 
God  save  him  from  it  !  It  would  be  worse  than  the 
loss  of  a  battle.  Without  him  our  whole  cause  would 
be  reduced  to  uncertainty  and  vacillation." 

On  the  instructions  of  the  Chief  I  sent  the 
Kolnische  Zeitung  the  translation  of  part  of  a  con- 
fidential report  according  to  which  the  Emperor 
Alexander  was  favourably  disposed  towards  the  French. 
I  also  wired  to  Berlin  respecting  the  closing  of  some 
small  telegraph  offices  the  officials  of  which  were 
required  for  the  field  service. 

There  is  no  longer  any  doubt  that  we  shall  retain 
Alsace  and  Metz,  with  its  environs,  in  case  of  a  final 
victory  over  France.  The  considerations  that  have  led 
the  Chancellor  to  this  conclusion,  and  which  have 
already  been  discussed  in  an  academic  way  in  the 
English  press,  are  somewhat  as  follows  : 

A  war  indemnity,  however  great  it  may  be,  would 
not  compensate  us  for  the  enormous  sacrifices  we  have 
made.  We  must  protect  South  Germany  with  its 
exposed  position  against  French  attacks,  and  thus  put  an 
end  to  the  pressure  exercised  upon  it  by  France  during 
two  centuries,  especially  as  this  pressure  has  during  the 
whole  time  greatly  contributed  to  German  disorganisa- 
tion and  confusion.     Baden,  Wurtemberg,  and  the  other 

H  2 


I  oo  ANNEX  A  TION  INDISPENSABLE     [Aug.  22, 1 870 

south-western  districts  must  not  in  future  be  threatened 
by  Strassburg  and  subject  to  attack  from  that  point. 
This  also  applies   to   Bavaria.     Within  150  years  the 
French  have  made  war  upon  South-west  Germany  more 
than  a  dozen  times.     Efforts  were  made  in   1814  and 
1815  in  a  forbearing  spirit  to  secure  guarantees  against 
a  renewal  of  such  attacks.     That  forbearance,  however, 
was  without  effect,  and  it  would  now  also  remain  fruit- 
less.    The  danger  lies  in  the  incurable  arrogance  and 
lust  of  power  which  is   part  of  the  French  character, 
qualities  that  might  be  abused  by  every  ruler — not  by 
any  means  by  the  Bonapartes  alone — for  the  purpose  of 
attacking  peaceful  neighbours.     Our  protection  against 
this  evil  does  not  lie  in  vain  attempts  periodically  to 
soothe  French  susceptibilities,  but  rather  in  securing  a 
well-defended  frontier.     France,  by  repeatedly  annexing 
German  territory  and  all  the  natural  defences  on  our 
western  frontier,  has  put  herself  in  a  position  to  force  her 
way  into  South  Germany  with  a  comparatively  small 
force  before  assistance  can  be  brought  from  the  north. 
Such  invasions  have  repeatedly  occurred  under  Louis 
XIV.  and  his  successor,  as  well  as  under  the  Republic 
and  the   First   Empire,    and   the   sense    of    insecurity 
obliges  the  German  States  to  reckon  constantly  with 
France.     That  the  annexation  of  a  piece  of  territory 
will  produce  bitter  feelings  amongst  the  French  is  a 
matter  of  no  consequence.     Such  feelings  would  exist 
in   any  case,   even  without   any   cession   of  territory. 
Austria  did  not  lose  an  acre  of  soil  in  1866,  and  yet 
what  thanks   have  we  had  ?     Our  victory  at  Sadowa 
had  already  filled  the  French  with  hatred  and  vexation. 
How  much  stronger  must  that  sentiment  be  after  our 
victories   at   Worth    and   Metz !     Revenge    fcr    those 
defeats  will  continue  to  be  the  war  cry  in  Paris  even 


Aug.  22, 1870]    A  GERMAN  EMPIRE  SUGGESTED  loi 

without  any  annexation,  and  will  spread  to  influential 
circles  in  the  provinces,  just  as  the  idea  of  revenge  for 
Waterloo  was  kept  alive  there  for  decades.  An  enemy 
who  cannot  be  turned  into  a  friend  by  considerate 
treatment  must  be  rendered  thoroughly  and  perma- 
nently harmless.  Not  the  demolition,  but  the  surrender, 
of  the  eastern  fortresses  of  France  can  alone  serve  our 
purpose.  Whoever  desires  disarmament  must  wish  to 
see  France's  neighbours  adopt  this  course,  as  France  is 
the  sole  disturber  of  European  peace,  and  will  remain  so 
as  long  as  she  can. 

It  is  astonishing  how  freely  this  idea  of  the  Chiefs 
now  flows  from  one's  pen.  What  looked  like  a  miracle 
ten  days  ago  seems  now  quite  natural  and  a  matter  of 
course.  Perhaps  the  suggestion  as  to  a  German  Empire 
which  is  understood  to  have  been  mentioned  during  the 
visit  of  the  Crown  Prince  is  also  an  idea  of  the  same 
kind.  Blessings  follow  closely  upon  each  other's  heels. 
We  may  now  regard  everything  as  probable. 

At  dinner  the  Minister  complained  of  the  excessive 
frugality  with  which  the  principal  ofiicials  of  the  Eoyal 
Household  catered  for  the  King's  table.  "  There  is  seldom 
any  champagne,  and  in  the  matter  of  food  also  short 
commons  is  the  rule.  When  I  glance  at  the  number  of 
cutlets  I  only  take  one,  as  I  am  afraid  that  otherwise 
somebody  else  would  have  to  go  without."  These  re- 
marks, like  similar  hints  given  recently,  were  intended 
for  one  or  other  of  the  gentlemen  from  the  Court,  with 
a  view  to  their  being  repeated  in  the  proper  quarter. 
The  conversation  then  turned  on  the  improper,  not  to 
say  disgraceful,  manner  in  which  the  French  soldiers 
carried  on  the  war.  The  Minister  said  they  had  killed 
one  of  our  oflicers  near  Mars  la  Tour  (Finkenstein,  I 
believe  it   was)  while  he  was  sitting  wounded  by  the 


I02  COUNT  HERBERT'S  WOUND        [Aug.  22, 1870 

roadside.  One  of  the  company  maintained  that  he  had 
been  shot,  but  another  said  that  an  examination  of  the 
body  by  a  doctor  showed  that  the  officer  had  been 
stabbed.  The  Chief  remarked  that  if  he  had  to  choose, 
he  should  prefer  being  stabbed  to  being  shot. 

Count  Herbert  has  been  brought  in  from  the  Field 
Hospital,  and  a  bed  has  been  prepared  for  him  on  the 
floor  in  his  father's  room.  I  was  talking  to  him  to-day. 
His  wound  is  painful,  but  up  to  the  present  it  does  not 
appear  to  be  dangerous.  He  is  to  return  to  Germany 
one  of  these  days,  where  he  will  remain  until  he  has 
recovered. 


CHAPTER  IV 

COMMERCY — BAR  LE  DUG — CLERMONT  EN  ARGONNE 

On  Tuesday,  August  23rd,  we  were  to  continue  our 
journey  westwards.  Sheridan  and  liis  companions  were 
to  accompany  us  or  to  follow  without  delay.  Re- 
gierungspraesident  von  Kuehlwetter  remained  behind 
as  Prefect ;  Count  Henckel  went  to  Saargemund,  and 
Count  Renard,  a  huge  figure  with  a  beard  of  cor- 
responding amplitude,  went  to  Nancy  in  a  similar 
capacity.  Bamberger,  the  member  of  Parliament, 
visited  us  again.  I  also  noticed  Herr  Stieber  on  one 
occasion  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  house  at  the 
corner  of  the  Rue  Raugraf,  and  as  1  was  walking  about 
the  town  to  take  a  last  look  at  the  place  before  leaving, 
I  saw  the  fine-drawn,  wrinkled,  clean  shaven  face  of 
Moltke,  whom  I  had  last  seen  as  he  entered  the  Foreign 
Office  in  company  with  the  Minister  of  War  five  or  six 
days  before  the  declaration  of  hostilities.  It  seemed  to 
me  that  his  features  wore  to-day  an  expression  of 
perfect  content  and  satisfaction. 

On  my  return  to  the  office  I  was  much  interested  by 
a  report  of  the  views  recently  expressed  by  Thiers  as  to 
the  immediate  future  of  France.  He  regarded  it  as 
certain  that  in  case  of  victory  w^e  should  retain  Alsace. 
The  defeat  of  Napoleon  would  be  followed  V)y  the  loss 


I04  BISMARCK  AND  MOLTKE  [Aug.  23, 1870 

of  his  throne.  He  would  be  succeeded  for  a  few  months 
by  a  Republic,  and  then  probably  by  one  of  the  Orleans 
family,  or  perhaps  by  Leopold  of  Belgium,  who,  ac- 
cording to  the  source  from  which  our  informant  obtained 
his  news  (one  of  Rothschild's  confidants),  was  known  on 
the  best  authority  to  be  extremely  ambitious. 

We  left  Pont  \  Mousson  at  10  o'clock.  In  the 
villages  along  the  road  the  houses  stood  side  by  side  as 
in  a  town.  Most  of  them  possessed  handsome  municipal 
buildings  and  schools,  and  some  had  seemingly  ancient 
Gothic  churches.  On  the  other  side  of  Grironville  the 
road  passes  a  steep  hill,  with  a  wide  prospect  of  the 
plain  beneath.  Here  we  left  the  carriages  in  order  to 
ease  the  load  for  the  horses.  The  Chancellor  who  drove 
at  the  head  of  our  party  with  Abeken  also  got  out  and 
walked  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  his  big  boots  reminding 
one  of  pictures  of  the  thirty  years'  war.  Moltke  walked 
beside  him ;  the  greatest  strategist  of  our  days  striding 
along  towards  Paris  on  a  country  road  near  the  French 
frontier  in  company  with  the  greatest  statesman  of  our 
time  ! 

After  we  had  returned  to  the  carriages  we  saw  a 
number  of  soldiers  to  the  right  putting  up  a  telegraph 
line.  Shortly  after  2  o'clock  we  came  to  Commercy,  a 
bright  little  town  with  about  6,000  inhabitants.  The 
white  blinds  in  the  better  class  houses  were  for  the  most 
part  drawn  down,  as  if  the  occupants  did  not  wish  to 
see  the  hated  Prussians.  The  people  in  blouses  were 
more  curious  and  less  hostile. 

The  Chief,  together  with  Abeken  and  Keudell,  took 
up  their  quarters  in  the  chateau  of  Count  Macore  de 
Gaucourt  in  the  Rue  des  Fontaines,  where  a  Prince  von 
Schwarzburg  had  lodged,  and  which  was  now  occupied 
by  the  lady   of  the  house.     Her  husband  was  in  the 


Aug.  23,  1870]      THE  PROSPECTS  OF  THE  ORLEANS  105 

French  army  and  was  accordingly  with  his  regiment  in 
the  field.  He  was  a  very  distinguished  gentleman, 
being  descended  from  the  old  Dukes  of  Lorraine.  There 
was  a  pretty  flower  garden  near  the  house,  and  behind 
it  was  a  large  wooded  park.  I  put  up  not  far  from  the 
Minister's  quarters  at  No.  1  Kue  Heurtebise,  where  I 
had  a  friendly  and  obliging  landlord  and  an  excellent 
fourpost  bed.  I  called  afterwards  on  the  Chancellor, 
whom  I  found  in  the  garden,  and  asked  if  there  was 
anything  for  me  to  do.  After  thinking  for  a  moment, 
he  said  there  was,  and  an  hour  later  I  provided  work 
both  for  the  Field  Post  and  the  new  telegraph  line. 

Amongst  other  things  I  wrote  the  following  para- 
graph :  "  It  is  now  quite  clear  that  the  Princes  of  the 
Orleans  family  consider  that  their  time  has  come,  as 
they  expect  to  see  the  star  of  the  Napoleons  sink  lower 
and  lower.  In  order  to  emphasise  the  fact  that  they 
are  Frenchmen,  they  have  placed  their  swords  in  the 
present  crisis  at  the  service  of  their  country.  The 
Orleans  lost  their  throne  in  great  part  through  their  own 
sluggishness  and  their  indifference  to  the  development 
of  neighbouring  States.  They  would  now  appear 
determined  to  regain  it  by  energy,  and  to  maintain  their 
position  by  flattering  French  chauvinism,  and  love  of 
glory  and  universal  dominion.  Our  work  is  not  yet 
done.  A  decisive  victory  is  probable,  but  is  not  yet 
certain.  The  fall  of  Napoleon  seems  near  at  hand,  but 
it  is  not  yet  accomplished.  Even  should  it  occur,  could 
we,  in  view  of  the  considerations  already  mentioned, 
rest  content  with  it  and  accept  it  as  the  sole  result  of 
our  exertions,  could  we  feel  confident  of  having  attained 
our  principal  object,  namely,  to  secure  peace  with  France 
for  many  years  to  come  ?  No  one  can  answer  that 
question  in  the  aflirmative.     A  peace  with  the  Orleans 


io6  RESERVE  ARMIES  IN  GERMANY    [Aug.  23, 1870 

on  the  French  throne  would  be  still  more  a  mockery 
than  one  with  Napoleon,  who  must  already  have  had 
enough  of  '  la  gloire.'  Sooner  or  later  we  should  be 
again  challenged  by  France,  who  probably  would  be 
then  better  prepared  and  would  have  secured  more 
powerful  allies." 

Three  reserve  army  corps  are  to  be  formed  in  Ger- 
many. One,  and  the  strongest,  near  Berlin  ;  one  on 
the  Rhine  ;  and  a  third  at  Glogau  in  Silesia,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  equivocal  attitude  of  Austria.  That 
would  Ije  a  purely  defensive  measure.  The  troops  on 
the  Rhine  are  to  be  commanded  by  the  Grand  Duke  of 
Mecklenburg,  those  near  Berlin  by  General  von  Can- 
stein,  and  those  at  Glogau  by  General  von  Lowenfeld. 

Towards  evening  the  military  band  played  before  the 
residence  of  the  King,  the  street  urchins  holding  their 
notes  for  the  musicians  in  the  friendliest  possible 
manner.  The  King  had  also  stopped  at  Commercy 
during  the  war  against  the  First  Napoleon. 

Counts  Waldersee  and  Lehndorft',  and  Lieutenant- 
General  von  Alvensleben  (from  Magdeburg)  were 
amongst  the  Chiefs  guests  at  dinner.  Alvensleben 
told  us  the  story  of  a  so-called  "  Marl-Major"  who  was 
accustomed  to  attribute  all  sorts  of  occurrences  to  geo- 
gnostic  causes.  He  reasoned  somewhat  in  this  style  : 
"  It  follows  from  the  character  and  conduct  of  the  Maid 
of  Orleans  that  she  could  only  have  been  born  on  a 
fertile  marly  soil,  that  she  was  fated  to  gain  a  victory  in 
a  limestone  country,  and  to  die  in  a  sandstone  district." 

Speaking  of  the  barbarous  way  in  which  the  French 
conducted  \h^  war,  Alvensleben  said  that  they  had  also 
fired  upon  a  flag  of  truce  at  Toul.  On  the  other  hand, 
an  officer  who  for  a  joke  rode  along  the  glacis  had  a 
friendly  chat  with  the  gentlemen  on  the  walls.     The 


Aug.  23, 1870]    SHOULD  PARIS  BE  DESTROYED?  107 

question  whether  it  would  be  possible  to  take  Paris  by 
storm  in  spite  of  its  fortifications  was  answered  in  the 
affirmative  by  the  military  guests.  General  Alvensleben 
said  :  "A  great  city  of  that  kind  cannot  be  successfully 
defended  if  it  is  attacked  by  a  sufficiently  numerous 
force."  Count  Waldersee  wished  to  "  see  Babel  utterly 
destroyed,"  and  brought  forward  arguments  in  favour 
of  that  measure  with  which  I  was  immensely  pleased. 
The  Minister,  however,  replied  :  "  Yes,  that  would  be  a 
very  good  thing,  but  it  is  impossible  for  many  reasons. 
One  of  these  is  that  numbers  of  Germans  in  Colojrne 
and  Frankfort  have  considerable  sums  invested  there." 

The  conversation  then  turned  upon  our  conquests 
in  France  and  those  still  to  be  made.  Alvensleben  was 
in  favour  of  keeping  the  country  up  to  the  Marne. 
Bismarck  had  another  idea,  which,  however,  he  seemed 
to  think  it  impossible  to  realise.  "My  ideal  would  be," 
he  said,  "  a  kind  of  German  colony,  a  neutral  State  of 
eight  or  ten  million  inhabitants,  free  from  the  con- 
scription and  whose  taxes  should  flow  to  Germany  so 
far  as  they  were  not  required  for  domestic  purposes. 
France  would  thus  lose  a  district  from  which  she  draws 
her  best  soldiers,  and  would  be  rendered  harmless.  In 
the  rest  of  France  no  Bourbon,  no  Orleans,  and  pro- 
bably no  Bonaparte,  neither  Lulu  (the  Prince  Imperial) 
nor  the  fat  Jerome,  nor  the  old  one.  I  did  not  wish 
for  war  in  connection  with  the  Luxemburg  afiair,  as  I 
knew  that  it  would  lead  to  six  others.  But  we  must 
now  put  an  end  to  all  this.  However,  we  must  not 
sell  the  bear's  skin  before  we  have  killed  it.  I  confess 
I  am  superstitious  in  that  respect."  "  Never  mind," 
said  Count  Waldersee,  "  our  bear  is  already  badly  hit." 

The  Chief  then  again  referred   to  the  royal  table 
and  to  the  frugal  manner  in  which  food  was  doled  out 


io8     THE  IRON  CROSS  FOR  THE  BAVARIANS    [Aug.  23, 1870 

to  the  guests,  his  remarks  being  probably  intended  for 
Count  LehndorfF,  who  was  expected  to  repeat  them. 
"  We  had  cutlets  there  recently,  and  I  could  not  take 
two,  as  there  was  only  one  apiece  for  us.  Rabbit 
followed,  and  I  debated  with  myself  whether  I  should 
take  a  second  portion,  although  I  could  easily  have 
managed  four.  At  length  hunger  overcame  my  polite- 
ness, and  I  seized  a  second  piece,  though  I  am  sure  I 
was  robbing  somebody  else." 

The  Chancellor  then  went  on  to  speak  of  his  sons. 
"  I  hope,"  he  said,  "  I  shall  be  able  to  keep  at  least 
one  of  my  youngsters — I  mean  Herbert,  who  is  on  his 
way  to  Germany.  He  got  to  feel  himself  quite  at 
home  in  camp.  Formerly  he  was  apt  to  be  haughty, 
but  as  he  lay  wounded  at  Pont  a  Mousson  he  was 
almost  more  friendly  with  the  common  troopers  who 
visited  him  than  with  the  officers." 

At  tea  we  were  told  that  in  1814  the  King  had  his 
quarters  in  the  same  street  where  he  now  lives,  next 
door  to  the  house  he  occupies  at  present.  The  Chief 
seems  to  have  spoken  to  him  to-day  about  decorating 
Bavarian  soldiers  with  the  Iron  Cross.  The  Minister 
said  :  "  My  further  plan  of  campaign  for  his  Majesty 
is  that  part  of  his  escort  should  be  sent  on  ahead. 
The  country  must  be  scoured  by  a  company  to  the 
right  and  left  of  the  road,  and  the  Royal  party  must 
remain  together.  Pickets  must  be  posted  at  stated 
intervals.  The  King  approved  when  I  told  him  that 
this  had  been  done  also  in  1814.  The  Sovereigns  did 
not  drive  on  that  occasion,  but  went  on  horseback,  and 
Russian  soldiers,  twenty  paces  apart,  lined  the  whole 
route."  Somebody  suggested  the  possibility  that 
peasants  or  franctircurs  might  fire  at  the  King. 
"Certainly,"  added  the  Chief,  "and  what  makes  it  so 


Aug.  24, 1870]  ON  THE  ROAD  TO  PARIS  109 

important  a  point  is  that  the  personage  in  question,  if 
he  is  ill  or  wounded  or  otherwise  out  of  sorts,  has  only 
to  say  '  Gro  back  ! '  and  we  must  all  of  us  go  back." 

We  left  Commercy  next  day  at  noon,  passing  several 
military  detachments  and  a  number  of  encampments  on 
our  way.  The  measures  of  precaution  mentioned  by 
the  Chief  had  been  adopted.  We  were  preceded  by  a 
squadron  of  uhlans  and  escorted  by  the  Stabswaclie,  which 
formed  a  bright  picture  of  many  colours,  being  recruited 
from  the  various  cavalry  regiments,  such  as  green,  red, 
and  blue  hussars,  Saxon  and  Prussian  dragoons,  &c. 
The  carriages  of  the  Chancellor's  party  followed  close 
behind  those  of  the  King's.  For  a  long  time  we  did  not 
come  across  any  villages.  Then  we  passed  through  St. 
Aubin,  and  soon  after  came  to  a  milestone  by  the  road- 
side with  the  words  "  Paris  241  kilometres,"  so  that  we 
were  only  a  distance  of  some  thirty-two  German  miles 
from  Babel.  We  afterwards  passed  a  long  line  of 
transport  carts  belonging  to  the  regiments  of  King  John 
of  Saxony,  the  Grand  Duke  of  Hesse,  &c.,  which  showed 
that  we  were  now  in  the  district  occupied  by  the  Crown 
Prince's  army. 

Shortly  afterwards  we  entered  the  small  town  of 
Ligny,  which  was  thronged  with  Bavarian  and  other 
soldiers.  We  waited  for  about  three-quarters  of  an 
hour  in  the  market-place,  which  was  crowded  with  all 
sorts  of  conveyances,  while  the  Chief  paid  a  visit  to  the 
Crown  Prince.  On  our  starting  once  more  we  met 
further  masses  of  blue  Bavarian  infantry,  some  light 
horse  collected  round  their  camp  fires,  then  a  second 
squadron  with  a  herd  of  cattle  guarded  by  soldiers,  and 
finally  a  third  larger  encampment  within  a  circle  of 
baggage  waggons. 

Bar   le   Due,  the  largest   town   in  which  we  have 


no  "  TOO  MANY  PRINCES"  [Aug.  24, 1870 

stayed  up  to  the  present,  may  have  a  population  of  some 
15,000.  The  streets  and  squares  presented  a  lively 
picture  as  we  drove  through,  and  we  caught  glimpses  of 
curious  female  faces  watching  us  through  the  blinds.  On 
the  arrival  of  the  King  the  Bavarian  band  played  "  Heil 
dir  im  Siegerkranz."  He  took  up  his  quarters  in  the 
house  occupied  by  the  local  branch  of  the  Bank  of 
France,  in  the  Rue  de  la  Banque.  The  Chancellor  and 
his  party  lodged  on  the  other  side  of  the  street,  in  the 
house  of  a  M.  Pernay,  who  had  gone  off  leaving  an  old 
woman  in  charo;e. 

Dr.  Lauer,  the  King's  physician,  dined  with  the 
Minister  that  evening.  The  Chief  was  very  communi- 
cative as  usual,  and  appeared  to  be  in  particularly  good 
humour.  He  renewed  his  complaints  as  to  the  "  short 
commons  "  at  the  royal  table,  evidently  intending  the 
doctor  to  repeat  them  to  Count  Puckler  or  Perponcher. 
During  his  visit  at  Ligny  he  had  to  take  breakfast, 
which  he  said  was  excellent,  with  the  Crown  Prince  and 
the  Princes  and  chief  officers  of  his  suite.  He  had  a 
seat  near  the  fire,  however,  which  was  not  quite  to  his 
taste,  and  otherwise  it  was  in  many  ways  less  comfort- 
able than  in  his  own  quarters.  "  There  were  too  many 
Princes  there  for  an  ordinary  mortal  to  be  able  to 
find  a  place.  Amongst  them  was  Frederick  the  Gentle 
(Friedrich  der  Sachte — Frederick  VHI.  of  Schleswig- 
Holstein).  He  wore  a  Bavarian  uniform,  so  that  I 
hardly  knew  him  at  first.  He  looked  somewliat  em- 
barrassed when  he  recognised  me."  We  also  gathered 
from  what  the  Chief  said  that  Count  Hatzfeldt  was  to  act 
as  a  kind  of  Prefect  while  we  remained  here,  a  position 
for  which  probably  his  thorough  knowledge  of  French 
and  of  the  habits  of  the  country  had  recommended  him. 
We  also  heard  that  the  headquarters  might  remain  here 


Aug.  25, 1870]  A  T  BAR  LE  DUC 


for  several  days, — "  as  at  Capua,"  added  the  Count, 
laughing. 

Before  tea  some  articles  were  despatched  to  Germany, 
including  one  on  the  part  played  by  the  Saxons  at 
Gravelotte,  which  the  Chancellor  praised  repeatedly. 

By  way  of  change  I  will  here  again  quote  from  my 
diary  : — 

Thursday,  August  2Mh. — Took  a  walk  early  this 
morning  in  the  upper,  and  evidently  the  older,  part  of 
the  town.  The  shops  are  almost  all  open.  The  people 
answer  politely  when  we  ask  to  be  shown  the  way.  Not 
far  from  our  quarters  there  is  an  old  stone  bridge  over 
the  river  which  was  unquestionably  built  before  Lorraine 
and  the  Duchy  of  Bar  belonged  to  France.  Towards 
9  o'clock  the  Bavarians  began  their  march  through 
the  town,  passing  in  front  of  the  King's  quarters.  More 
French  spectators  had  collected  on  both  sides  of  the 
street  than  was  quite  comfortable  for  us.  For  hours 
together  light  horse  with  green  uniforms  and  red  facings, 
dark  blue  cuirassiers,  lancers,  artillery  and  infantry, 
regiment  after  regiment  marched  before  the  Commander- 
in-Chief  of  the  German  forces.  As  they  passed  the  King 
the  troops  cheered  lustily,  the  cavalry  swinging  their 
sabres,  and  the  foot  soldiers  lifting  up  their  right  hands. 
The  colours  were  lowered  before  the  Sovereign,  the 
cavalry  trumpets  blew  an  ear-splitting  fanfare,  while  the 
infantry  bands  played  stirring  airs,  one  of  them  giving 
the  beautiful  Hohenfriedberg  march.  First  came  General 
von  Hartmann's  Army  Corps,  followed  by  that  of  Von 
der  Tann,  who  afterwards  took  breakfast  with  us.  Who 
could  have  thought,  immediately  after  the  war  of  1866, 
or  even  three  months  ago,  of  the  possibility  of  such  a 
scene  ? 

Wrote  several  articles   for  post  and  others  for  the 


112  THE  NEUTRAL  POWERS  [Aug.  25, 1870 

wire.  Our  people  are  pressing  forward  rapidly.  The 
vanguards  of  the  German  columns  are  already  between 
Chalons  and  Epernay.  The  formation  of  three  reserve 
armies  in  Germany,  which  has  been  already  mentioned, 
began  a  few  days  ago.  The  neutral  Powers  raise  some 
objections  to  our  intended  annexation  of  French  territory 
for  the  purpose  of  securing  an  advantageous  western 
frontier,  especially  England,  who  up  to  the  present  has 
shown  a  disposition  to  tie  our  hands.  The  reports  from  St. 
Petersburg  appear  to  be  more  favourable,  the  Tsar  being 
well  disposed  to  us,  although  he  by  no  means  unreservedly 
accepts  the  proposed  measures,  while  we  are  assured  of 
the  active  sympathy  of  the  Grand  Duchess  Helene.  We 
hold  fast  to  our  intention  to  enforce  the  cession  of  terri- 
tory, that  intention  being  based  upon  the  necessity  of  at 
length  securing  South  Germany  from  French  attack  and 
thus  rendering  it  independent  of  French  policy.  When 
our  intentions  are  made  public  they  will  certainly  be 
energetically  endorsed  by  the  national  sentiment,  which 
it  will  be  difficult  to  oppose. 

It  is  reported  that  a  variety  of  revolting  acts  have 
been  committed  by  the  bands  of  franctireurs  that  are 
now  being  formed.    Their  uniform  is  such  that  they  can 
hardly  be   recognised  as  soldiers,  and  the  badges  by 
which  they  are  distinguished  can  be  easily  laid  aside. 
One  of  these  young  fellows  lies  in  a  ditch  near  a  wood, 
apparently  sunning  himself,  while  a  troop  of  cavalry 
rides  by.    When  they  have  passed  he  takes  a  rifle  which 
has  been  concealed  in  a  bush,  fires  at  them  and  runs 
into  the  wood.     Knowing  the  way  he  again  appears  a  ■ 
little  further  on  as  a  harmless  peasant.    I  am  inclined  t( 
think  that  these  are  not  defenders  of  their  country  but] 
rather  assassins  who  should  be  strung  up  without  cere-l 
mony  whenever  they  are  caught. 


Aug.  25,  1870]  THE  AUGUSTENBURGER  113 

Count  Seckendorf,  of  the  Crown  Prince's  staff,  was 
the  Chiefs  guest  at  dinner.  The  Augustenburger 
(Frederick  VIIL  of  Schleswig-Holstein),  who  has  joined 
the  Bavarians,  was  spoken  of,  and  not  to  his  advantage. 
....  (Tlie  opinions  expressed  were  practically  identical 
with  those  given  in  a  letter  which  I  received  a  few  months 
later  from  a  patriotic  friend,  Herr  Noeldeke,  who  lived 
in  Kiel  at  that  time  as  a  professor.  He  wrote  :  "  We 
all  know  that  he  was  not  born  for  heroic  deeds.  He 
cannot  help  that.  If  he  waits  persistently  for  his 
inheritance  to  be  restored  to  him  by  some  miraculous 
means,  that  is  a  family  trait.  But  he  might  at  least 
have  made  an  effort  to  appear  heroic.  Instead  of  loafing 
around  with  the  army  he  might  have  led  a  company  or 
a  battalion  of  the  soldiers  whom  at  one  time  he  was 
nearly  calling  his  own, — or  for  my  j^art  he  might  have 
led  Bavarians.  In  all  probability  the  result  would  not 
been  very  remarkable,  but  at  any  rate  he  would  have 
shown  his  good  will.") 

Reference  was  made  to  the  rumour  that  the  Bavarian 
battalions  did  not  appear  particularly  anxious  to  advance 
at  the  battle  of  Worth  (or  was  it  Weissenburg  ?),  and 
that  Major  von  Freiberg  called  upon  them  to  show 
themselves  equal  to  "  those  gallant  Prussians."  Secken- 
dorf, if  I  am  not  mistaken,  confirmed  this  report.  On 
the  other  hand,  he  denied  that  the  Crown  Prince  had 
ordered  treacherous  French  peasants  to  be  shot.  He 
had,  on  the  contrary,  acted  with  great  leniency  and 
forbearance,  especially  towards  unmannerly  French 
officers. 

Count  Bohlen,  who  is  always  ready  with  amusing 

anecdotes  and  flashes  of  fun,  said:  "On  the  18th  von 

Breintz's   battery  was   subjected  to  such  a   heavy  fire 

that  in  a  short  time  nearly  all  his  horses  and  most  of 

VOL.    I  I 


114  GERMAN  OFFICIALS  IN  FRANCE      [Aug.  26,  1870 

his  men  lay  dead  or  wounded.  As  he  was  mustering 
the  survivors,  the  captain  remarked,  '  A  very  fine  fight, 
is  it  not  ? '  " 

The  Chief  said  :  "  Last  night  I  asked  the  sentry  at 
the  door  how  he  was  oiF  for  food,  and  I  found  that  the 
man  had  had  nothing  to  eat  for  twenty-four  hours.  I 
went  to  the  kitchen  and  brought  him  a  good  chunk  of 
bread,  at  which  he  seemed  highly  pleased." 

Hatzfeldt's  appointment  as  Prefect  led  to  the  mention 
of  other  Prefects  and  Commissaries  in  spe.  Doubt 
having  been  expressed  as  to  the  capacity  of  some  of 
them,  the  Minister  remarked  :  "  Our  ofiicials  in  France 
may  commit  a  few  blunders,  but  they  will  be  soon  for- 
gotten if  the  administration  in  general  is  conducted 
energetically." 

The  conversation  having  turned  on  the  telegraph 
lines  which  were  being  so  rapidly  erected  in  our  rear, 
somebody  told  the  following  story.  The  workmen  who 
found  that  their  poles  were  stolen  and  their  wires  cut, 
asked  the  peasants  to  keep  guard  over  them  during  the 
night.  The  latter,  however,  refused  to  do  this,  although 
they  were  offered  payment  for  it.  At  length  they  were 
promised  that  the  name  of  each  watchman  should  be 
painted  upon  every  pole.  This  speculation  on  French 
vanity  succeeded.  After  that  the  fellows  in  the  long 
nightcaps  kept  faithful  watch,  and  no  further  damage 
was  done. 

Friday,  August  26th. — We  are  to  move  forward  to 
Saint  Menehould,  where  our  troops  have  captured  800 
mobile  guards.  Early  in  the  day  I  wrote  an  article 
about  the  franctireurs,  dealing  in  detail  with  the  false 
view  which  they  take  of  what  is  permissible  in  war. 

We  moved  forward  on  the  26th,  not  to  Saint 
Menehould,    however,    which    was   still    unsafe,    being 


Aug.  2^,  1870]  ARRIVAL  AT  CLERMONT  115 

infested  by  franctireurs  and  mobile  guards,  but  to 
Clermont  en  Argonne,  where  we  arrived  at  7  o'clock  in 
the  evening.  On  our  way  we  passed  through  several 
rather  large  villages  with  handsome  old  churches.  For 
the  last  couple  of  hours  military  policemen  were  stationed 
along  the  road  at  intervals  of  about  200  paces.  The 
houses,  which  were  built  of  grey  sandstone  and  not 
whitewashed,  stood  close  together.  The  whole  popula- 
tion shuffled  about  in  clumsy  wooden  shoes,  and  the 
features  of  the  men  and  women,  of  whom  we  saw  great 
numbers  standing  before  the  doors,  were,  so  far  as  I 
could  observe  in  a  passing  glance,  almost  invariably 
ugly.  Probably  the  people  thought  it  necessary  to 
remove  the  prettier  girls  to  a  place  of  safety  out  of  the 
way  of  the  German  birds  of  prey. 

We  met  some  Bavarian  troops  with  a  line  of  trans- 
port waggons.  The  troops  loudly  cheered  the  King, 
and  afterwards  the  Chancellor.  Later  on  we  overtook 
three  regiments  of  infantry,  some  hussars,  uhlans,  and  a 
Saxon  commissariat  detachment.  Near  a  village,  which 
was  called  Triaucourt  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  we  met  a 
cartful  of  franctireurs  who  had  been  captured  by  our 
people.  Most  of  these  young  fellows  hung  their  heads, 
and  one  of  them  was  weeping.  The  Chief  stopped  and 
spoke  to  them.  What  he  said  did  not  appear  to  please 
them  particularly.  An  officer  of  higher  rank  who  came 
over  to  the  carriage  of  the  Councillors  and  was  treated 
to  a  friendly  glass  of  cognac  told  us  that  these  fellows 
or  comrades  of  theirs  had  on  the  previous  day 
treacherously  shot  a  captain  or  major  of  the  uhlans, 
named  Von  Fries  or  Friesen.  On  being  taken  prisoners 
they  had  not  behaved  themselves  like  soldiers,  but  had 
run  away  from  their  escort.  The  cavalry  and  rifles, 
however,  arranged  a  kind  of  battue  in  the  vineyards,  so 

I  2 


ii6  FRENCH  METHODS  OF  WAR         [Aug.  26,  1870 

that  some  of  them  were  again  seized,  while  others  were 
shot  or  cut  down.  It  was  evident  that  the  war  was 
becoming  barbarous  and  inhuman,  owing  to  these 
guerilla  bands.  Our  soldiers  were  prejudiced  against 
them  from  the  beginning,  even  apart  from  the  possi- 
bility of  their  lying  treacherously  in  ambush,  as  they 
looked  upon  them  as  busybodies  who  were  interfering 
in  what  was  not  their  business,  and  as  bunglers  who  did 
not  understand  their  work. 

We  took  up  our  residence  at  Clermont  in  the  town 
schoolhouse  in  the  main  street,  the  King's  quarters  being 
over  the  way.  On  our  arrival,  the  Grande  Rue  was  full 
of  carts  and  carriages,  and  one  saw  here  and  there  a 
few  Saxon  rifles.  While  Abeken  and  I  were  visiting  the 
church  we  could  hear  in  the  stillness  the  steady  tramp 
of  the  troops  and  their  hurrahs  as  they  marched  past 
the  King's  quarters. 

On  our  return  we  were  told  that  the  Minister  had 

left  word  that  we  were  to  dine  with  him  in  the  Hotel 

des  Voyageurs.     We  found  a  place  at  the  Chiefs  table 

in  a  back  room  of  the  hotel,  which  was  full  of  noise  and 

tobacco  smoke.     Amongst  the  guests  was  an  officer  with 

a  long  black  beard,  who  wore  the  Geneva  cross  on  his 

arm.     This  was  Prince  Pless.     He  said  that  the  captured 

French  ofl&cers  at  Pont  a  Mousson  had  behaved  in  an 

insolent  manner,  and  had  spent  the  whole  night  drinking 

and  playing  cards.     A  general  had  insisted  that  he  was 

entitled   to  have   a  separate  carriage,   and  been   very 

obstreperous  when  his  demand  was  naturally  rejected. 

We  then  went  on  to  speak  of  the  franctireurs  and  their 

odious  modes  of  warfare.     The  Minister  confirmed  what 

I  had  already  heard  from  Abeken,  namely,  that  he  hadj 

spoken  very  sharply  to  the  prisoners  we  had  met  in  th( 

afternoon.  "  I  told  them,  '  Vous  serez  tous  pendus, — vom 


Aug.  28,  1870]      BISMARCK  AND  THE  FRANCTIREURS        117 

Vb^tes  pas  des  soldats,  vous  etes  des  assassins  ! '  On  my 
saying  this  one  of  them  began  to  howl."  We  have 
already  seen  that  the  Chancellor  is  anything  but 
unfeeling,  and  further  proof  of  this  will  be  given 
later  on. 

In  our  quarters  the  Chief's  chamber  was  on  the  first 
floor,  Abeken,  I  believe,  having  a  back  room  on  the 
same  landing.  The  remainder  of  us  were  lodged  on  the 
second  floor  in  a  dormitory  or  kind  of  hall  which  at 
first  only  contained  two  chairs  and  two  bedsteads  with 
mattresses  but  without  quilts.  The  night  was  bitterly 
cold,  and  I  only  with  my  waterproof  to  cover  me.  Still 
it  was  quite  endurable,  especially  when  one  fell  asleep 
thinking  of  the  poor  soldiers  who  have  to  lie  outside  in 
the  muddy  fields. 

In  the  morning  we  were  busy  rearranging  our  apart- 
ment to  suit  our  needs.  Without  depriving  it  of  its 
original  character  we  turned  it  into  an  office  and  dining 
room.  Theiss's  cleverness  conjured  up  a  magnificent 
table  out  of  a  sawing  bench  and  a  baker's  trough,  a 
barrel,  a  small  box  and  a  door  which  we  took  off'  its 
hinges.  This  work  of  art  served  as  breakfast  and  dining 
table  for  the  Chancellor  of  the  Confederation  and  our- 
selves, and  in  the  intervals  between  those  meals  was 
used  as  a  desk  by  the  Councillors  and  Secretaries,  who 
neatly  committed  to  paper  and  reproduced  in  the  form 
of  despatches,  instructions,  telegrams,  and  newspaper 
articles  the  pregnant  ideas  which  the  Count  thought 
out  in  our  midst.  The  scarcity  of  chairs  was  to  a 
certain  extent  overcome  by  requisitioning  a  bench  from 
the  kitchen,  while  some  of  the  party  contented  them- 
selves with  boxes  as  seats.  Wine  bottles  that  had  been 
emptied  by  the  Minister  served  as  candlesticks — ex- 
perience proved  that  champagne  bottles  were  the  fittest 


1 1 8  FRICTION  A  T  HEADQ UARTERS        [Aug.  27,  1 870 


for  this  purpose — and  as  a  matter  of  fact  good  wax 
candles  burned  as  brightly  in  these  as  in  a  silver 
chandelier.  It  was  more  difficult  to  secure  the  neces- 
sary supply  of  water  for  washing,  and  sometimes  it  was 
hard  even  to  get  enough  for  drinking  purposes,  the 
soldiers  having  during  the  last  two  days  almost  drained 
the  wells  for  themselves  and  their  horses.  Only  one  of 
our  party  lamented  his  lot  and  grumbled  at  these  and 
other  slight  discomforts.  The  rest  of  us,  including  the 
far- travelled  Abeken,  accepted  them  all  with  good 
humour,  as  welcome  and  characteristic  features  of  our 
expedition. 

The  office  of  the  Minister  of  War,  or  rather  of  the 
general  staff,  was  on  the  ground  floor,  where  Fouriere 
and  a  number  of  soldiers  sat  at  the  desks  and  rostrums 
in  the  two  schoolrooms.  The  walls  were  covered  with 
maps,  &c.,  and  with  mottoes,  one  of  which  was  particu- 
larly applicable  to  the  present  bad  times  :  "  Faites-vous 
une  etude  de  la  patience,  et  sachez  ceder  par  raiso7i." 

The  Chief  came  in  while  we  were  taking  our  coffee. 
He  was  in  a  bad  temper,  and  asked  why  the  proclama- 
tion threatening  to  punish  with  death  a  number  of 
offences  by  the  population  against  the  laws  of  war  had 
not  been  posted  up.  On  his  instructions  I  inquired  of 
Stieber,  who  told  me  that  Abeken  had  handed  over  the 
proclamation  to  the  general  staff,  and  that  he  (Stieber), 
as  director  of  the  military  police,  could  only  put  up  such 
notices  when  they  came  from  his  Majesty, 

On  going  to  the  Chancellor's  room  to  inform  him  of 
the  result  of  my  inquiries,  I  found  that  he  was  little 
better  off  than  myself  in  the  way  of  sleeping  accommo- 
dation. He  had  passed  the  night  on  a  mattress  on  the 
floor  with  his  revolver  by  his  side,  and  he  was  .vorking 
at  a  little  table  which  was  hardly  large  enough  to  rest 


Aug.  27,  1870]     HOW  THE  CHANCELLOR  WAS  LODGED       119 


his  two  elbows  on.  The  apartment  was  almost  bare  of 
furniture  and  there  was  not  a  sofa  or  armchair,  &c. 
He,  who  for  years  past  had  so  largely  influenced  the 
history  of  the  world,  and  in  whose  mind  all  the  great 
movements  of  our  time  w^ere  concentrated  and  being 
shaped  anew,  had  hardly  a  place  on  which  to  lay  his 
head ;  while  stupid  Court  parasites  rested  from  their 
busy  idleness  in  luxurious  beds,  and  even  Monsieur 
Stieber  managed  to  provide  for  himself  a  more  com- 
fortable resting-place  than  our  Master. 

On  this  occasion  I  saw  a  letter  that  had  fallen  into 
our  hands.  It  came  from  Paris,  and  was  addressed  to  a 
French  officer  of  high  rank.  From  this  communication 
it  appeared  that  little  hope  was  entertained  of  further 
successful  resistance,  and  just  as  little  of  the  maintenance 
of  the  dynasty.  The  writer  did  not  know  what  to 
expect  or  desire  for  the  immediate  future.  The  choice 
seemed  to  lie  between  a  Republic  without  republicans, 
and  a  Monarchy  without  monarchists.  The  republicans 
were  a  feeble  set  and  the  monarchists  were  too  selfish. 
There  was  great  enthusiasm  about  the  army,  but  nobody 
was  in  a  hurry  to  join  it  and  assist  in  repelling  the 
enemy. 

The  Chief  again  said  that  attention  should  be 
called  to  the  services  of  the  Saxons  at  Gravelotte.  "  The 
small  black  fellows  should  in  particular  be  praised. 
Their  own  newspapers  have  expressed  themselves  very 
modestly,  and  yet  the  Saxons  were  exceptionally 
gallant.  Try  to  get  some  details  of  the  excellent  work 
they  did  on  the  18th." 

They  were  very  busy  in  the  office  in  the  meantime. 
Councillors  and  Secretaries  were  writing  and  deciphering 
at  full  pressure,  sealing  despatches  at  the  lights  stuck 
into  the  champagne-bottle-candlesticks,  and  all  around 


I20  WORKING  UNDER  DIFFICULTIES      [Aug.  27,  1870 

portfolios  and  documents,  waterproofs  and  shoe-brushes, 
torn  papers  and  empty  envelopes,  were  strewn  about 
in  picturesque  confusion.  Orderlies,  couriers  and 
attendants  came  and  went.  Every  one  was  talking  at 
the  same  time,  and  was  too  occupied  to  pay  the  least 
attention  to  his  neighbours.  Abeken  was  particularly 
active  in  rushing  about  between  the  improvised  table 
and  the  messengers,  and  his  voice  was  louder  than  ever. 
I  believe  that  this  morning  his  ready  hand  turned  out 
a  fresh  document  every  half  hour ;  at  least,  one  heard 
him  constantly  pushing  back  his  chair  and  calling  a 
messenger.  In  addition  to  all  this  noise  came  the 
incessant  tramp,  tramp,  tramp  of  the  soldiers,  the 
rolling  of  the  drums  and  the  rattle  of  the  carts  over 
the  pavement.  In  this  confusion  it  was  no  light  task 
to  collect  one's  thoughts  and  to  carry  out  properly  the 
instructions  received,  but  with  plenty  of  goodwill  it 
could  be  done. 

After  dinner,  at  which  the  Chancellor  and  some  01 
the  Councillors  were  not  present,  as  they  "dined  with  the 
King,  I  took  a  walk  with  Willisch  to  the  chapel  of  St. 
Anne  on  the  top  of  the  hill.  There  we  found  a  number, 
of  our  countrymen,  soldiers  belonging  to  the  Freiberg 
Rifle  Battalion,  at  supper  under  a  tree.  They  have  been 
engao-ed  in  the  battle  of  the  18th.  I  tried  to  obtain 
some  particulars  of  the  fight,  but  could  not  get  much 
more  out  of  them  than  that  they  had  given  it  with  a 
will  to  the  Frenchmen. 

By  the  side  of  the  chapel  a  pathway  led  between  a 
row  of  trees  to  a  delightful  prospect,  whence  we  could 
see  at  our  feet  the  little  town,  and  beyond  it  to  the 
north  and  east  an  extensive  plain,  with  stubble  fields, 
villages,  steeples,  groups  of  trees  and  stretches  of  wood, 
and  to  the  south  and  west  a  forest  that  spread  out  to 


Aug.  28,  i87o]     QUARTERING  TROOPS  IN  A  CHURCH  121 


the  horizon,  changing  from  dark  green  to  the  misty- 
blue  of  the  far  distance.  This  plain  is  intersected  by 
three  roads,  one  of  which  goes  direct  to  Varennes.  On 
this  road  not  far  from  the  town  a  Bavarian  regiment 
was  stationed,  whose  camp  fires  added  a  picturesque 
note  to  the  scene.  In  the  distance  to  the  right  was  a 
wooded  hill  with  the  village  of  Faucoix,  while  the 
small  town  of  Montfaucon  was  visible  further  off.  The 
second  road,  more  towards  the  east,  leads  to  Verdun. 
Still  further  to  the  right,  not  far  from  a  camp  of  Saxon 
troops,  was  the  road  to  Bar  le  Due,  on  which  we 
noticed  a  detachment  of  soldiers.  We  caught  the  glint 
of  their  bayonets  in  the  evening  sunshine  and  heard  the 
sound  of  their  drums  softened  by  the  distance. 

Here  we  remained  a  good  while  gazing  at  this 
pleasing  picture,  which  in  the  west  was  glowing  with 
the  light  of  the  setting  sun,  and  watching  the  shadows 
of  the  mountain  spread  slowly  over  the  fields  until  all 
was  dark.  On  our  way  back  we  again  looked  in  at  the 
church  of  St.  Didier,  in  which  some  Hessians  were  now 
quartered.  They  lay  on  straw  in  the  choir  and  before 
the  altar,  and  lit  their  pipes  at  the  lamps  which  burned 
before  the  sanctuary — without,  however,  intending  any 
disrespect,  as  they  were  decent,  harmless  fellows. 

On  Sunday,  August  28th,  we  were  greeted  with  a 
dull  grey  sky  and  a  soft  steady  rain  that  reminded  one 
of  the  weather  experienced  by  Goethe  not  far  from  here 
in  September,  1792,  during  the  days  preceding  and  fol- 
lowing the  artillery  engagement  at  Valmy.  At  the 
Chiefs  request  I  took  General  Sheridan  a  copy  of  the 
Pall  Mall  Gazette,  and  afterwards  tried  to  hunt  up 
some  Saxons  who  could  give  me  particulars  of  the 
battle  of  the  18th.  At  length  I  found  an  officer  of  the 
Landwehr,  a  landed  proprietor  named   Fuchs-Nordhof, 


122      SOUTH  GERMANY  TO  BE  MADE  SECURE  [Aug.  28,  1870 

from  Moeckern,  near  Leipzig.  He  was  not  able  to  add 
much  to  what  I  knew.  The  Saxons  had  fought  princi- 
pally at  Sainte  Marie  aux  Chenes  and  Saint  Privat,  and 
protected  the  retreat  of  the  guards,  who  had  fallen  into 
some  disorder.  The  Freiberg  Rifles  took  the  position 
held  by  the  French  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet  without 
firing  a  shot.  The  Leipzig  Regiment  (the  107th)  in 
particular  had  lost  a  great  many  men  and  nearly  all  its 
officers.  That  was  all  he  could  tell  me,  except  that  he 
confirmed  the  news  as  to  Krausshaar's  death. 

When  the  Minister  got  up  we  were  again  provided 
with  plenty  of  work.  Our  cause  was  making  excellent 
progress.  I  was  in  a  position  to  telegraph  that  the  Saxon 
cavalry  had  routed  the  12th  Chasseurs  at  Voussieres 
and  Beaumont.  I  was  informed  (and  was  at  liberty  to 
state)  that  we  held  to  our  determination  to  compel 
France  to  a  cession  of  territory,  and  that  we  should 
conclude  peace  on  no  other  conditions. 

The  arguments  in  support  of  this  decision  were  given 
in  the  following  article  which  was  sanctioned  by  the 
Chief  :— 

"  Since  the  victories  of  Mars  la  Tour  and  Gravelotte 
the  German  forces  have  been  constantly  pressing 
forward.  The  time  would,  therefore,  appear  to  have 
come  for  considering  the  conditions  on  which  Germany 
can  conclude  peace  with  France.  In  this  matter  we 
must  be  guided  neither  by  a  passion  for  glory  or 
conquest,  nor  Ijy  that  generosity  which  is  frequently 
recommended  to  us  by  the  foreign  press.  Our  sole 
object  must  be  to  guarantee  the  security  of  South 
Germany  from  fresh  attacks  on  the  part  of  France  such 
as  have  been  renewed  more  than  a  dozen  times  from  the 
reign  of  Louis  XIV.  to  our  own  days,  and  which  will  be 
repeated  as  often  as  France  feels  strong  enough.     The 


Aug.  28,  1870]     FRENCH  TERRITOR  V  TO  BE  CEDED 


enormous  sacrifices  in  blood  and  treasure  which  the 
German  people  have  made  in  this  war,  together  with  all 
our  present  victories,  would  be  in  vain  if  the  power  of 
the  French  were  not  weakened  for  attack  and  the 
defensive  strength  of  Germany  were  not  increased.  Our 
people  have  a  right  to  demand  that  this  shall  be  done. 
Were  we  to  content  ourselves  with  a  change  of  dynasty 
and  an  indemnity  the  position  of  affairs  would  not  be 
improved,  and  there  would  be  nothing  to  prevent  this 
war  leading  to  a  number  of  others,  especially  as  the 
present  defeat  would  spur  on  the  French  to  revenge. 
France  with  her  comparatively  great  wealth  would  soon 
forget  the  indemnity,  and  any  new  dynasty  would,  in 
order  to  fortify  its  own  position,  endeavour  to  secure  a 
victory  over  us  and  thus  compensate  for  the  present 
misfortunes  of  the  country.  Generosity  is  a  highly 
respectable  virtue,  but  as  a  rule  in  politics  it  secures  no 
gratitude.  In  1866  we  did  not  take  a  single  inch  of 
ground  from  the  Austrians,  but  have  we  received  any 
thanks  in  Vienna  for  this  self-restraint  ?  Do  they  not 
feel  a  bitter  longing  for  revenge  simply  because  they 
have  been  defeated  ?  Besides  the  French  already  bore 
us  a  grudge  for  our  victory  at  Sadowa,  though  it  was 
not  won  over  them  but  over  another  foreio^n  Power. 
Whether  we  now  generously  forego  a  cession  of  territory 
or  not,  how  will  they  feel  towards  us  after  the  victories 
of  Worth  and  Metz,  and  how  will  they  seek  revenge  for 
their  own  defeat  ? 

"  The  consequences  of  the  other  course  adopted  in 
1814  and  1815,  when  France  was  treated  with  great 
consideration,  prove  it  to  have  been  bad  policy.  If  at 
that  time  the  French  had  been  weakened  to  the  extent 
which  the  interests  of  general  peace  required,  the  present 
war  would  not  have  been  necessary. 


124  WORK  OF  iZii^  TO  BE  COMPLETED      [Aug.  28,  1870 

"  The  danger  does  not  lie  in  Bonapartism,  although 
the  latter  must  rely  chiefly  upon  Chauvinist  sentiment. 
It  consists  in  the  incurable  arrogance  of  that  portion  of 
the  French  people  which  gives  the  tone  to  the  whole 
country.  This  trait  in  the  French  national  character, 
which  will  guide  the  policy  of  every  dynasty,  whatever 
name  it  may  bear,  and  even  of  a  Republic,  will  con- 
stantly lead  to  encroachments  upon  peaceful  neighbours. 
Our  victories,  to  bear  fruit,  must  lead  to  an  actual 
improvement  of  our  frontier  defences  against  this  restless 
neighbour.  Whoever  wishes  to  see  the  diminution  of 
military  burdens  in  Europe,  or  desires  such  a  peace  as 
would  permit  thereof,  must  look  not  to  moral  but  to 
material  guarantees  as  a  solid  and  permanent  barrier 
against  the  French  lust  of  conquest ;  in  other  words,  it 
should  in  future  be  made  as  difficult  as  possible  for 
France  to  invade  South  Germany  with  a  comparatively 
small  force,  and  even  in  peace  to  compel  the  South 
Germans,  through  the  apprehension  of  such  attack,  to  be 
always  reckoning  with  the  French  Government.  Our 
present  task  is  to  secure  South  Germany  by  providing 
it  with  a  defensible  frontier.  To  fulfil  that  task  is  to 
liberate  Germany,  that  is  to  complete  the  work  of  the 
War  of  Liberation  in  1813  and  1814. 

"  The  least,  therefore,  that  we  can  demand  and  that 
the  German  people,  and  particularly  our  comrades  across 
the  Main,  can  accept  is,  the  cession  of  the  French  gate- 
ways into  Germany,  namely  Strassburg  and  Metz.  It 
would  be  just  as  short-sighted  to  expect  any  permanent 
peace  from  the  mere  demolition  of  these  fortresses  as  to 
trust  in  the  possibility  of  winning  over  the  French  by 
considerate  treatment.  Besides,  it  must  not  be  forgotten 
that  this  territory  which  we  now  demand  was  originally 
German  and   in   great  part  still  remains  German,  and 


Aug.  28, 1870]  METZ  AND  STRASSBURG  FOR  GERMANY     125 

that  its  inhabitants  will  perhaps  in  time  learn  to  feel 
that  they  belong  to  one  race  with  ourselves. 

"  We  may  regard  a  change  of  dynasty  with  in- 
difference. An  indemnity  will  only  temporarily  weaken 
France  financially.  What  we  require  is  increased 
security  for  our  frontiers.  This  is  only  attainable,  how- 
ever, by  changing  the  two  fortresses  that  threaten  us 
into  bulwarks  for  our  protection.  Strassburg  and  Metz 
must  cease  to  be  points  of  support  for  French  attacks 
and  be  transformed  into  German  defences. 

"  Whoever  sincerely  desires  a  general  European  peace 
and  disarmament,  and  wants  to  see  the  ploughshare 
replace  the  sword,  must  first  wish  to  see  the  eastern 
neighbours  of  France  secure  peace  for  themselves,  as 
France  is  the  sole  disturber  of  public  tranquillity  and 
will  so  remain  as  long  as  she  has  the  power." 


CHAPTER    V 

WE     TURN     TOWAKDS     THE     NORTH  —  THE     CHANCELLOR 

OF      THE      CONFEDERATION      AT      REZONVILLE THE 

BATTLE   AND    BATTLEFIELD    OF    BEAUMONT 

Su7iday,  August  2Sth. — At  tea  we  receive  an  im- 
portant piece  of  news.  We  ourselves  and  the  whole 
army  (with  the  exception  of  that  portion  which 
remains  behind  for  the  investment  of  Metz)  are  to 
alter  our  line  of  march,  and  instead  of  going  west- 
wards in  the  direction  of  Chalons,  we  are  to  turn 
northwards,  following  the  edge  of  the  Argonne  forest 
towards  the  Ardennes  and  the  Meuse  district.  Our 
next  halt  will,  it  is  believed,  be  at  Grand  Prd.  This 
move  is  made  for  the  purpose  of  intercepting  Marshal 
MacMahon,  who  has  collected  a  large  force  and  is 
marching  towards  Metz  for  the  relief  of  Bazaine. 

We  start  at  10  o'clock  on  the  29th,  passing  through 
several  villages  and  occasionally  by  handsome  chateaux 
and  parks,  a  camp  of  Bavarian  soldiers,  some  line 
regiments,  rifles,  light  horse  and  cuirassiers.  In 
driving  through  the  small  town  of  Varennes  we  notice 
the  house  where  Louis  XVI.  was  arrested  by  the  post- 
man of  Saint  Menehould.  It  is  now  occupied  by  a 
firm  of  scythe  manufacturers.  The  whole  place  is 
full   of    soldiers,   horse    and    foot,    with    waggons  and 


Aug.  28,  1870]     THE  CHANCELLOR  AT  VARENNES  127 

artillery.  After  extricating  ourselves  from  this  crowd 
of  vehicles  and  men,  we  push  rapidly  forward  through 
villages  and  past  other  camps,  until  we  reach  Grand 
Prd.  Here  the  Chancellor  takes  up  his  quarters  in  the 
Grande  Rue,  a  little  way  from  the  market,  the  King 
lodging  at  an  apothecary's  not  far  off.  The  second 
section  of  the  King's  suite,  including  Prince  Charles, 
Prince  Luitpold  of  Bavaria,  and  the  Hereditary  Grand 
Duke  of  Mecklenburg-Schwerin,  was  quartered  in  the 
neighbouring  village  of  Juvin.  I  am  billeted  at  a 
milliner's  opposite  the  Chief's  quarters.  I  have  a  nice 
clean  room,  but  my  landlady  is  invisible.  We  saw  a 
number  of  French  prisoners  in  the  market  place  on 
our  arrival.  I  am  informed  that  an  encounter  with 
MacMahon's  army  is  expected  to-morrow  morning. 

At  Grande  Pre  the  Chief  again  showed  that  he 
never  thought  of  the  possibility  of  an  attempt  being 
made  to  assassinate  him.  He  walked  about  in  the 
twilight  alone  and  without  any  constraint,  going  even 
through  narrow  and  lonely  streets  that  offered  special 
opportunities  for  attack.  I  say  this  from  personal  ex- 
perience, because  I  followed  him  with  my  revolver  at 
a  little  distance.  It  seemed  to  me  possible  that  an 
occasion  might  arise  when  I  might  be  of  assistance 
to  him. 

On  my  hearing  next  morning  that  the  King  and 
the  Chancellor  were  going  off  together  in  order  to  be 
present  at  the  great  battue  of  the  second  French  army 
I  thought  of  a  favourite  proverb  of  the  Chief's  which 
he  repeated  to  me  on  his  return  from  Rezonville  : — 
"  Wer  sich  giHln  macht,  den  fressen  die  Ziegen,"  and 
plucking  up  heart  I  begged  him  to  take  me  with  him. 
He  answered,  "  But  if  we  remain  there  for  the  night 
what  will  you  do  ?  "     I  replied,  "  That  doesn't  matter, 


128  BISMARCK  ON  NOISES  [Aug.  29, 1870 

Excellency ;  I  shall  know  how  to  take  care  of  myself." 
"  Well,  then,  come  along !  "  said  he,  laughing.  The 
Minister  took  a  walk  in  the  market  place  while  I,  in 
high  good  humour,  fetched  my  travelling  bag,  water- 
proof and  faithful  diary.  On  his  return  he  entered  his 
carriage  and  motioned  to  me  to  join  him,  when  I  took 
my  place  at  his  side.  One  must  have  luck  to  secure 
such  a  piece  of  good  fortune,  and  one  must  also  follow 
it  up. 

We  started  shortly  after  9  o'clock.  At  first  we 
retraced  our  steps  along  yesterday's  road.  Then  to 
the  left  through  vineyards  and  past  several  villages 
in  a  hilly  district.  We  met  some  parks  of  artillery 
and  troops  on  the  march  or  resting  by  the  way. 
About  11  o'clock  we  reached  the  little  town  of 
Busancy,  where  we  stopped  in  the  market  place  to 
wait  for  the  King. 

The  Chief  was  very  communicative.  He  complained 
that  he  was  frequently  disturbed  at  his  work  by  per- 
sons talking  outside  his  door,  "particularly  as  some  of 
the  gentlemen  have  such  loud  voices.  An  ordinary 
inarticulate  noise  does  not  annoy  me.  I  am  not  put 
out  by  music  or  the  rattle  of  waggons,  but  what  irri- 
tates me  is  a  conversation  in  which  I  can  distinguish 
the  words.  I  then  want  to  know  what  it  is  about, 
and  so  I  lose  the  thread  of  my  own  ideas." 

He  then  pointed  out  to  me  that  when  officers  saluted 
our  carriage,  it  was  not  for  me  to  return  the  salute. 
He  himself  was  not  saluted  as  Minister  or  Chancellor, 
but  solely  as  a  general  officer,  and  soldiers  might  feel 
offended  if  a  civilian  seemed  to  think  that  the  salute  was 
also  intended  for  him. 

He  was  afraid  that  nothing  in  particular  would  occur 
that  day,  an  opinion  which  was  shared  by  some  Prussian 


Aug.  29,  i87o]        COUNT  WILLIAM  BISMARCK  129 

artillery  officers  who  were  standing  by  their  guns  imme- 
diately opposite  Busancy,  and  with  whom  he  spoke. 
"  It  will  be  just  as  it  was  occasionally  when  I  was  out 
wolf  shooting  in  the  Ardennes.  After  wandering  about 
for  days  in  the  snow,  we  used  to  hear  that  a  track  had 
been  discovered,  but  when  we  followed  it  up  the  wolf 
had  disappeared.  It  will  be  the  same  with  the  French 
to-day." 

After  expressing  a  hope  that  he  might  meet  his  second 
son,  respecting  whom  he  repeatedly  inquired  of  officers 
along  the  route,  the  Minister  added  : — "  You  can  see  from 
his  case  how  little  nepotism  there  is  in  our  army.  He 
has  already  served  twelve  months  and  has  obtained  no 
promotion,  while  others  are  recommended  for  the  rank 
of  ensign  in  little  more  than  a  month."  I  took  the 
liberty  to  ask  how  that  was  possible.  "  I  do  not  know," 
he  answered.  "  I  have  made  close  inquiries  as  to  whe- 
ther he  had  been  guilty  of  any  slight  breaches  of  disci- 
pline ;  but  no,  his  conduct  has  been  quite  satisfactory, 
and  in  the  engagement  at  Mars  la  Tour  he  charged  as 
gallantly  on  the  French  square  as  any  of  his  comrades. 
On  the  return  ride  he  dragged  with  him  out  of  the  fight 
two  dragoons  who  had  been  unhorsed,  grasping  one 
of  them  in  each  hand.^  It  is  certainly  well  to  avoid 
favouritism,  but  it  is  bitter  to  be  slighted," 

A  few  weeks  later  both  his  sons  were  promoted  to 
the  rank  of  officers. 

Subsequently,  amongst  many  other  things,  the  Chief 
once  more  gave  me  an  account  of  his  experiences  on  the 
evening  of  the  1 8th  of  August.  They  had  sent  their  horses 
to  water,  and  were  standing  near  a  battery  which  had 
opened  fire.    This  was  not  returned  by  the  French,  but, 

^  Not  quite   correct,    according    to  a    subsequent  statement  of    the 
Minister's  and  Count  Bill's  own  account. 

VOL.  I  K 


I30  AN  ANXIOUS  MOMENT  [Aug.  29,  1870 

lie  continued,  "  while  we  thought  their  cannon  had  been 
dismounted,  they  were  for  the  last  hour  concentrating 
their  guns  and  mitrailleuses  for  a  last  great  effort. 
Suddenly  they  began  a  fearful  fire  with  shells  and 
smaller  projectiles,  filling  the  whole  air  with  an  inces- 
sant crashing  and  roaring,  howling  and  whistling.  We 
were  cut  off  from  the  King,  whom  Roon  had  sent  to  the 
rear.  I  remained  by  the  battery,  and  thought  that  if 
we  had  to  retire  I  could  jump  on  to  the  next  ammu- 
nition cart.  We  expected  that  this  attack  would  be 
supported  by  French  infantry,  who  might  take  me 
prisoner,  even  if  I  were  to  treat  them  to  a  steady  re- 
volver fire.  I  had  six  bullets  ready  for  them,  and 
another  half-dozen  in  reserve.  At  length  our  horses 
returned,  and  I  started  off  to  join  the  King.  That, 
however,  was  jumping  from  the  frying  pan  into  the  fire. 
The  shells  that  passed  over  our  heads  fell  exactly  in  the 
space  across  which  we  had  to  ride.  Next  morning  we 
saw  the  pits  which  they  dug  in  the  ground.  It  was 
therefore  necessary  for  the  King  to  retire  still  further 
to  the  rear.  I  told  him  this  after  the  officers  had  men- 
tioned it  to  me.  It  was  now  night.  The  King  said 
he  was  hungry,  and  wished  to  have  something  to  eat. 
Drink  was  to  be  had  from  one  of  the  sutlers,  wine  and 
bad  rum,  but  there  was  nothing  to  eat  except  dry  bread. 
At  last  they  managed  to  hunt  up  a  couple  of  cutlets  in 
the  village,  just  enough  for  the  King,  but  nothing  for 
his  companions,  so  that  I  was  obliged  to  look  out  for 
something  else.  His  Majesty  wished  to  sleep  in  the 
carriage  between  dead  horses  and  severely  wounded  sol- 
diers. Later  on  he  found  shelter  in  a  miserable  hut. 
The  Chancellor  of  the  Confederation  was  oliliged  to  seek 
cover  elsewhere.  Leaving  the  heir  of  one  of  our  mighty 
German  potentates  (the  young  Hereditary  Grand  Duke 


Aug.  29,  1870]     IN  SEARCH  OF  NIGHT  QUARTERS  131 

of  Mecklenburg)  to  keep  watch  over  the  carriage  and 
see  that  nothing  was  stolen,  I  went  with  Sheridan  on  a 
reconnoitring  tour  in  search  of  a  sleeping  place.  We 
came  to  a  house  which  was  still  burning,  but  that  was 
too  hot  for  us.  I  inquired  at  another,  it  was  full  of 
wounded ;  at  a  third,  and  got  the  same  answer,  and  still 
a  fourth  was  also  full  of  wounded.  Here,  however,  I 
refused  to  budge.  I  saw  a  top  window  in  which  there 
was  no  light,  and  asked  who  was  there.  '  Only  wounded 
soldiers,'  was  the  reply.  '  Well,  we  are  just  going  up  to 
see,'  I  said,  and  marched  upstairs.  There  we  found  three 
beds  with  good  and  tolerably  clean  straw  mattresses, 
where  we  took  up  our  quarters  and  slept  capitally." 

When  the  Minister  first  told  this  story  at  Pont  ^ 
Mousson,  with  less  detail,  his  cousin.  Count  Bismarck- 
Bohlen,  added :  "  Yes,  you  fell  asleep  immediately,  as 
also  did  Sheridan,  who  rolled  himself  up  in  a  white  linen 
sheet — where  he  found  it  I  cannot  imagine — and  seemed 
to  dream  of  you  all  night,  as  I  heard  him  murmur  to 
himself  several  times,  '  0  dear  Count ! ' "  "  Yes,"  said 
the  Minister,  "  and  the  Hereditary  Grand  Duke,  who 
took  the  affair  in  very  good  part,  and  was  altogether  a 
very  pleasant  and  amiable  young  gentleman."  "  More- 
over," continued  Bohlen,  "  the  best  of  it  was  that  there 
really  was  no  such  scarcity  of  shelter.  In  the  meantime 
a  fine  country  house  had  been  discovered  that  had  been 
prepared  for  the  reception  of  Bazaine,  with  good  beds, 
excellent  wine,  and  I  know  not  what  besides,  all  first 
rate.  The  Minister  of  War  quartered  himself  there,  and 
had  a  luxurious  supper  with  his  stafi"." 

On  the  way  to  Busancy  the  Chancellor  further  said : 
"  The  whole  day  I  had  nothing  to  eat  but  army  bread 
and  bacon  fat.  In  the  evening  we  got  five  or  six  eggs. 
The  others  wanted  them  cooked,  but  I  like  them  raw, 

K  2 


132  AT  B USANC Y  [Aug.  30,  1 870 

and  so  I  stole  a  couple,  and  cracking  the  shells  on  the 
hilt  of  my  sword,  I  swallowed  them,  and  felt  much 
refreshed.  Early  next  morning  I  had  the  first  warm 
food  for  thirty- six  hours.  It  was  only  some  pea-soup 
with  bacon,  which  I  got  from  General  Goeben,  but  I 
enjoyed  it  immensely." 

The  market  place  at  Busancy,  a  small  country  town, 
was  crowded  with  officers,  hussars,  uhlans,  couriers,  and 
all  sorts  of  conveyances.  After  a  while  Sheridan  and 
Forsythe  also  arrived.  At  11.30  the  King  appeared,  and 
immediately  afterwards  we  heard  the  unexpected  news 
that  the  French  were  standing  their  ground.  At  about 
four  kilometres  from  Busancy  we  came  to  a  height 
beneath  which  to  the  left  and  right  a  small  open  valley 
lay  between  us  and  another  height.  Suddenly  we  heard 
the  muffled  sound  of  a  discharge  in  the  distance. 
"  Artillery  fire,"  said  the  Minister.  A  little  further  on 
I  saw  two  columns  of  infantry  stationed  on  the  other 
side  of  a  hollow  to  the  left  on  a  piece  of  rising  ground 
bare  of  trees.  They  had  two  guns  which  were  being 
fired.  It  was  so  far  off  however  that  one  could  hardly 
hear  the  report.  The  Chief  was  surprised  at  the  sharp- 
ness of  my  sight  and  put  on  his  glasses,  which  I  for  the 
first  time  learned  were  necessary  to  him  when  he  wished 
to  see  at  a  distance.  Small  white  clouds  like  balloons 
at  a  great  height  floated  for  three  or  four  seconds  above 
the  hollow  and  then  disappeared  in  a  flash.  These  were 
shrapnel  shells.  The  guns  must  have  been  German, 
and  seemed  to  throw  their  shot  from  a  declivity  on  the 
other  side  of  the  hollow.  Over  this  hollow  was  a  wood, 
in  front  of  which  I  could  observe  several  dark  lines, 
perhaps  French  troops.  Still  further  off"  was  the  spur 
of  a  hill,  with  three  or  four  large  trees.  This,  according 
to  my  map,  was  the  village  of  Stonn,  from  which,  as  I 


Aug.  30,1870]        THE  BATTLE  OF  BEAUMONT  133 

afterwards  heard,  the  Emperor  Napoleon  watched  the 
fight. 

The  firing  to  the  left  soon  ceased.  Bavarian 
artillery,  blue  cuirassiers,  and  green  light  horse,  passed 
us  on  the  road,  going  at  a  trot.  A  little  further  on,  just 
as  we  drove  by  a  small  thicket,  we  heard  a  rattle,  as  of 
a  slow  and  badly  delivered  volley.  "  A  mitrailleuse," 
said  Engel,  turning  round  on  the  box.  Not  far  off,  at  a 
place  where  the  Bavarian  rifles  were  resting  in  the  ditch 
by  the  road,  the  Minister  got  on  horseback  in  order  to 
ride  with  the  King,  who  was  ahead  of  us.  We  ourselves, 
after  following  the  road  for  a  time,  turned  tow^ards  the 
right  across  a  stubble  field.  The  ground  gradually  rose 
to  a  low  height  on  which  the  King  stood  with  the  Chief 
and  a  number  of  Princes,  generals  and  other  oflicers  of 
high  rank.  I  followed  them  across  the  ploughed  fields, 
and  standing  a  little  to  one  side  I  watched  the  battle  of 
Beaumont  till  nearly  sunset. 

It  began  to  grow  dark.  The  King  sat  on  a  chair 
near  which  a  straw  fire  had  been  lit,  as  there  was  a 
strong  wind.  He  was  following  the  course  of  the  battle 
through  a  field  glass.  The  Chancellor,  who  was  similarly 
occupied,  stood  on  a  ridge,  from  which  Sheridan  also 
watched  the  spectacle.  It  was  now  possible  to  catch  the 
flash,  of  the  bursting  shells  and  the  flames  that  were 
rising  from  the  burning  houses  at  Beaumont.  The 
French  continued  to  retire  rapidly,  and  the  combatants 
disappeared  over  the  crest  of  the  treeless  height  that 
closed  the  horizon  to  the  left  behind  the  wood  over  the 
burning  village.     The  battle  was  won. 

It  was  growing  dark  when  we  returned  towards 
Busancy,  and  when  we  reached  it  it  was  surrounded  by 
hundreds  of  small  fires  that  threw  the  silhouettes  of 
men,  horses,  and  baggage  waggons  into  high  relief.    We 


134  THE  FRENCH  TAKEN  BY  SURPRISE    [Aug.  31,  1870 

got  down  at  the  house  of  a  doctor  who  lived  at  the  end 
of  the  main  street,  in  which  the  King  had  also  taken  up 
his  quarters.  Those  of  our  party  who  had  been  left 
behind  at  Grand  Pr6  had  arrived  before  us.  I  slept 
here  on  a  straw  mattress  on  the  floor  of  an  almost  empty 
room,  under  a  coverlet  which  had  been  brought  from 
the  hospital  in  the  town  by  one  of  our  soldiers.  That, 
however,  did  not  in  the  least  prevent  my  sleeping  the 
sleep  of  the  just. 

On  Wednesday,  August  the  31st,  between  9  and 
10  A.M.,  the  King  and  the  Chancellor  drove  out  to  visit 
the  battle-field  of  the  previous  day.  I  was  again  per- 
mitted to  accompany  the  Minister.  At  first  we  followed 
the  road  taken  the  day  before  through  Bar  de  Busancy 
and  Sommauthe.  Between  these  two  villages  we  passed 
some  squadrons  of  Bavarian  uhlans,  who  heartily  cheered 
the  King.  Behind  Sommauthe,  which  was  full  of 
wounded,  we  drove  through  a  beautiful  wood  that  lay 
between  that  village  and  Beaumont,  where  we  arrived 
after  11  o'clock.  King  William  and  our  Chancellor 
then  got  on  horseback  and  rode  to  the  right  over  the 
fields,  I  followed  in  the  same  direction  on  foot.  The 
carriages  went  on  to  the  town,  where  they  were  to  wait 
for  us. 

The  Chancellor  remarked  that  the  French  had  not 
offered  a  particularly  steady  resistance  yesterday,  or 
shown  much  prudence  in  their  arrangements.  "  At 
Beaumont  a  battery  of  heavy  artillery  surprised  them 
in  their  camp  in  broad  daylight.  Horses  were  shot 
tethered,  many  of  the  dead  are  in  their  shirt  sleeves, 
and  plates  are  still  lying  about  with  boiled  potatoes, 
pots  with  half-cooked  meat,  and  so  forth." 

During  the  drive  the  Chief  came  to  speak  of 
"  people  who  have  the  King's  ear  and  abuse  his  good 


Aug.3i,  i87o]    VON  DER  GOLTZ  AND  THE  PRINCESSE     135 

nature,"  thinking  in  the  first  place  of  the  "  fat  Borck, 
the  holder  of  the  King's  Privy  Purse  ;  "  and  afterwards 
referring  to  Count  BernstorfF,  our  then  Ambassador  in 
London,  who,  when  he  gave  up  the  Foreign  Office  in 
Berlin,  "  knew  very  well  how  to  take  care  of  himself." 
In  fact,  "he  was  so  long  weighing  the  respective 
advantages  of  the  two  Embassies — London  and  Paris — 
that  he  delayed  entering  upon  his  duties  much  longer 
than  was  decent  or  proper." 

I  ventured  to  ask  what  sort  of  a  person  Von  der 
Goltz  was,  as  one  heard  such  difi'erent  opinions  about 
him,  and  whether  he  really  was  a  man  of  importance 
and  intellect  as  was  maintained.  "  Intelligent  ?  yes,  in 
a  certain  sense,"  replied  the  Minister ;  "  a  quick  worker, 
well  informed,  but  changeable  in  his  views  of  men  and 
things, — to-day  in  favour  of  this  man  or  this  project,  to- 
morrow for  another  and  sometimes  for  the  very  opposite. 
Then  he  was  always  in  love  with  the  Princesses  to 
whose  Courts  he  was  accredited,  first  with  Amelia  of 
Greece  and  then  with  Eugenie.  He  beheved  that  what 
I  had  the  good  fortune  to  carry  through,  he,  with  his 
exceptional  intelligence,  could  have  also  done  and  even 
better.  Therefore  he  was  constantly  intriguing  against 
me,  although  we  had  been  good  friends  in  our  youth. 
He  wrote  letters  to  the  King  complaining  of  me  and 
warning  his  Majesty  against  me.  That  did  not  help 
him  much,  as  the  King  handed  over  the  letters  to  me, 
and  I  replied  to  them  by  reprimanding  him.  But  in 
this  respect  he  was  persevering,  and  continued  to  write 
indefatigably.  He  was  very  little  liked  by  his  sub- 
ordinates, indeed  they  actually  detested  him.  On  my 
visit  to  Paris  in  1862  I  called  upon  him  to  report  my- 
self just  as  he  had  settled  down  to  a  siesta.  I  did  not 
wish  to  have  him  disturbed,  but  his  secretaries  were 


136  RADOWITZ  [Aug.  31,  1870 

evidently  delighted  that  he  should  be  obliged  to  get  up, 
and  one  of  them  immediately  went  in  to  announce  me. 
It  would  have  been  so  easy  for  him  to  secure  the  good 
will  and  attachment  of  his  people.  It  is  not  difficult 
for  an  Ambassador,  and  I  too  would  do  it  gladly.  But 
as  a  Minister  one  has  no  time,  one  has  too  many  other 
things  to  think  of  and  to  do.  So  I  have  had  to  adopt  a 
more  military  style."  It  will  be  seen  from  this  descrip- 
tion that  Von  der  Goltz  was  Arnim's  forerunner  and 
kindred  spirit. 

The  Minister  went  on  to  speak  of  Radowitz,  saying 
he  did  not  feel  quite  certain  whether  it  was  dulness  or 
treachery  on  Radowitz's  part  that  was  to  blame  for  the 
diplomatic  defeat  at  Olmiitz.  The  army  ought  to  have 
been  brought  into  line  before  Olmiitz,  but  Radowitz  had 
intrigued  against  it.  "I  would  leave  it  an  open  ques- 
tion whether  he  did  so  as  an  Austrian  ultramontane 
Jesuit,  or  as  an  impracticable  dreamer  who  thought  he 
knew  everything.  Instead  of  looking  to  our  armaments 
he  occupied  the  King  with  constitutional  trifles,  of 
mediaeval  follies,  questions  of  etiquette  and  such  like. 
On  one  occasion  we  heard  that  Austria  had  collected 
80,000  men  in  Bohemia,  and  was  buying  great  numbers 
of  horses.  This  was  mentioned  before  the  King  in 
Radowitz's  presence.  He  suddenly  stepped  forward, 
looking  as  if  he  knew  much  more  about  it  than  any- 
body else,  and  said,  '  Austria  has  22,493  men  and  2,005 
horses  in  Bohemia,'  and  then  turned  away,  conscious 
that  he  had  once  more  impressed  the  King  with  a  sense 
of  his  importance." 

The  King  and  the  Chancellor  first  rode  to  the  field 
where  the  heavy  artillery  had  been  at  work.  I  followed 
them  after  I  had  jotted  down  my  notes.  This  field  lies 
about  800  to  1000  paces  to  the  right  of  the  road  that 


Aug.  31,  iSyo]  A  BELLldERENT  PRIEST  137 

brought  lis  here.  In  front  of  it  towards  the  wood  at 
the  bottom  of  the  valley  were  some  fields  surrounded 
by  hedges  in  which  lay  about  a  thousand  German  dead, 
Thuringians  of  the  31st  Regiment.  The  camp  itself 
presented  a  horrible  appearance,  all  blue  and  red  from 
the  French  dead,  most  of  them  being  killed  by  the 
shells  of  the  4th  Corps,  and  fearfully  disfigured. 

The  Chancellor,  as  he  afterwards  told  me,  noticed 
among  some  prisoners  in  a  quarry  a  priest  who  was 
believed  to  have  fired  at  our  men.  "  On  my  charging 
him  with  having  done  so  he  denied  it.  Take  care,"  I 
said  to  him,  "  for  if  it  is  proved  against  you,  you  will 
certainly  be  hanged."  In  the  meantime  I  gave  instruc- 
tions to  remove  his  cassock.  Near  the  church  the  King 
saw  a  wounded  musketeer,  with  whom  he  shook  hands, 
although  the  man  was  rather  tattered  and  dirty  from 
the  work  of  the  previous  day,  doubtless  to  the  surprise 
of  the  French  officers  who  were  present.  The  King 
asked  him  what  his  business  was.  He  replied  that 
he  was  a  Doctor  of  Philosophy.  "  Well,  then,  you 
will  have  learnt  to  bear  your  wounds  in  a  philo- 
sophical spirit,"  said  the  King.  "  Yes,"  answered  the 
musketeer,  "  I  have  already  made  up  my  mind  to 
do  so." 

Near  the  second  village  we  overtook  some  common 
soldiers,  Bavarians,  who  had  broken  down  on  the  march, 
and  were  dragging  themselves  slowly  along  in  the  burn- 
ing sun.  "  Hullo,  countryman  !  "  called  out  the  Minister 
to  one  of  these,  "  will  you  have  some  brandy  ?  "  "  Why, 
certainly ; "  and  so  would  a  second  and  a  third,  to  judge 
from  their  looks.  All  three,  and  a  few  more,  after  they 
had  had  a  pull  at  the  Minister's  flask  and  at  mine,  re- 
ceived a  decent  cigar  in  addition.  At  the  village  of 
Crehanges,  where  the  princely  personages  of  the  second 


138  A   THURINGIAN  SERENE  HIGHNESS    [Aug.  31, 1^70 

section  of  the  King's  suite  were  quartered,  together  with 
some  gentlemen  of  the  Crown  Prince's  retinue,  the  King- 
ordered  a  lunch,  to  which  Bismarck  was  also  invited. 
In  the  meantime  I  sat  on  a  stone  by  the  roadside  and 
wrote  up  my  diary,  and  afterwards  assisted  the  Dutch 
Ambulance  corps,  who  had  erected  a  bright  green  tent 
for  the  wounded  in  the  vicinity  of  the  village.  When 
the  Minister  returned  he  asked  me  what  I  had  been 
doing,  which  I  told  him.  "  I  would  rather  have  been 
there  than  in  the  company  I  was  in,"  he  said,  breathing 
deeply,  and  then  quoted  the  line  from  Schiller's  Diver, 
"  Unter  Larven  die  einzige  filhlende  Brust"  (the  only 
feeling  heart  amongst  all  those  masks). 

During^  the  rest  of  the  drive  the  conversation  moved 
for  a  considerable  time  in  exalted  regions,  and  the 
Chief  readily  gave  me  full  information  in  answer  to  my 
inquiries.  I  regret,  however,  that  I  cannot  for  various 
reasons  publish  all  I  heard. 

A  certain  Thuringian  Serene  Highness  appeared  to 
be  particularly  objectionable  to  him.  He  spoke  of  his 
"  stupid  self-importance  as  a  Prince,  regarding  me  as 
his  Chancellor  also  ;  "  of  his  empty  head,  and  his  trivial 
conventional  style  of  talk.  "  To  some  extent,  however, 
that  is  due  to  his  education,  which  trained  him  to  the 
use  of  such  empty  phrases.  Goethe  is  also  partly  to 
blame  for  that.  The  Queen  has  been  brought  up  much 
in  the  same  style.  One  of  the  chairs  in  the  Palace 
would  be  taken  to  represent  the  Burgomaster  of  Apolda, 
who  was  coming  to  present  his  homage.  '  Ah  ! '  she 
was  taught  to  say,  '  very  pleased  to  see  you,  Herr  Burgo- 
master ! '  (Here  the  Chancellor  leant  his  head  a  little 
to  one  side,  pouted  his  lips,  and  assumed  a  most  con- 
descending smile.)  '  How  are  things  going  on  in  the 
good  town  of  Apolda  ?     In  Apolda  you  make  socks  and 


Aug.  31, 1870]     THE  CROWN  PRINCE  AND  PRINCESS         139 

tobacco  and  such  tliiugs,  which  do  not  require  much 
thinking  or  feeling.' " 

I  ventured  to  ask  how  he  now  stood  with  the  Crown 
Prince  ?  "  Excellently,"  he  answered.  "  We  are  quite 
good  friends  since  he  has  come  to  recognise  that  I  am 
not  on  the  side  of  the  French,  as  he  had  previously 
fancied — I  do  not  know  on  what  grounds."  I  remarked 
that  the  day  before  the  Crown  Prince  had  looked 
very  pleased.  "  Why  should  he  not  be  pleased  ? "  re- 
plied the  Count.  "  The  Heir  Apparent  of  one  of  the 
most  powerful  kingdoms  in  the  world,  and  with  the  best 
prospects.  He  will  be  reasonable  later  on  and  allow  his 
Ministers  to  govern  more,  and  not  put  himself  too  much 
forward,  and  in  general  he  will  get  rid  of  many  bad 
habits  that  render  old  gentlemen  of  his  trade  sometimes 
rather  troublesome.  For  the  rest,  he  is  unaffected  and 
straightforward  ;  but  he  does  not  care  to  work  much,  and 
is  quite  happy  if  he  has  plenty  of  money  and  amuse- 
ments, and  if  the  newspapers  praise  him." 

I  took  the  liberty  to  ask  further  what  sort  of  woman 
the  Crown  Princess  was,  and  whether  she  had  much 
influence  over  her  husband.  "  I  think  not,"  the  Count 
said  ;  "  and  as  to  her  intelHgence,  she  is  a  clever  woman  ; 
clever  in  a  womanly  way.  She  is  not  able  to  disguise 
her  feelings,  or  at  least  not  always.  I  have  cost  her 
many  tears,  and  she  could  not  conceal  how  angry  she 
was  with  me  after  the  annexations  (that  is  to  say  of 
Schleswig  and  Hanover).  She  could  hardly  bear  the 
sight  of  me,  but  that  feeling  has  now  somewhat  sub- 
sided. She  once  asked  me  to  bring  her  a  glass  of  water, 
and  as  I  handed  it  to  her  she  said  to  a  lady-in-waiting 
who  sat  near  and  whose  name  I  forget,  'He  has  cost 
me  as  many  tears  as  there  is  water  in  this  glass.'  But 
that  is  all  over  now." 


I40  THE  A  UG  US TENB URGER  [Aug.  3 1 ,  1 870 

Finally  we  descended  from  the  sphere  of  the  gods  to 
that  of  ordinary  humanity.  After  I  had  referred  to  the 
Coburg-Belgian-Engiish  clique,  the  conversation  turned 
on  the  Augustenburger  in  his  Bavarian  uniform.  "He's 
an  idiot,"  said  the  Chancellor.  "  He  might  have  secured 
much  better  terms.  At  first  I  did  not  want  from  him 
more  than  the  smaller  Princes  were  obliged  to  concede 
in  1866.  Thanks,  however,  to  Divine  Providence  and 
the  pettifogging  wisdom  of  Samwer,  he  would  agree  to 
nothing.  I  remember  an  interview  I  had  with  him  in 
1864,  in  the  billiard-room  near  my  study,  which  lasted 
until  late  in  the  night.  I  called  him  '  Highness  '  for  the 
first  time,  and  was  altogether  specially  j)olite.  When, 
however,  I  mentioned  Kiel  Harbour,  which  we  wanted, 
he  remarked  that  that  might  mean  something  like  a 
square  mile,  or  perhaps  even  several  square  miles,  a  re- 
mark to  which  I  was  of  course  obliged  to  assent ;  and 
when  he  also  refused  to  listen  to  our  demands  with  re- 
gard to  the  army,  I  assumed  a  difi'erent  tone,  and 
addressed  him  merely  as  '  Prince.'  Finally,  I  told  him 
quite  coolly  in  Low  German  that  we  could  wring  the 
necks  of  the  chickens  we  had  hatched.  At  Ligny  he 
basely  tricked  me  the  other  day  into  shaking  hands  with 
him.  I  did  not  know  who  the  Bavarian  general  was 
who  held  out  his  hand  to  me,  or  I  should  have  gone  out 
of  his  way." 

After  an  unusually  long  drive  up  hill  and  down  dale, 
we  arrived  at  7  o'clock  at  the  small  town  or  market- 
place of  Vendresse,  where  the  Chancellor  put  up  at  the 
house  of  a  Widow  Baudelot,  with  the  rest  of  his  party, 
who  had  already  taken  possession  of  their  quarters. 


CHAPTER  VI 

SEDAX — BISMARCK    AND    NAPOLEON    AT    DONCHERY 

On  the  1st  of  September  Moltke's  chase  after  the 
French  in  the  Meuse  district  was,  from  all  we  could 
hear,  evidently  approaching  its  close.  I  had  the  good 
fortune  to  be  present  at  it  next  day.  After  rising  very 
early  in  order  to  write  up  my  diary  from  the  hasty 
notes  taken  on  the  previous  day  in  the  carriage  and  by 
the  roadside  at  Chemery,  I  went  to  the  house  of  Widow 
Baudelot.  As  I  entered,  a  large  cavalry  detachment, 
formed  of  five  Prussian  hussar  regiments,  green,  brown, 
black  and  red,  rode  past  under  the  Chief's  window. 
These  were  to  accompany  the  King  to  a  point  near 
Sedan,  whence  he  could  witness  the  catastrophe  which 
was  now  confidently  expected.  When  the  carriage 
came  and  the  Chancellor  appeared  he  looked  about 
him.  Seeing  me  he  said,  "  Can  you  decipher,  doctor  ?  " 
I  answered,  "  Yes,"  and  he  added,  "  Then  get  a  cipher 
and  come  along."  I  did  not  wait  to  be  asked  twice.  We 
started  soon  afterwards.  Count  Bismarck-Bohlen  this 
time  occupying  the  seat  next  to  the  Minister. 

We  first  passed  through  Chemery  and  Chehery, 
halting  in  a  stubble  field  near  a  third  village  which  lay 
in  a  hollow  to  the  left  of  the  road  at  foot  of  a  bare 
hillock.      Here  the  King,   with   his    suite  of   Princes, 


142  SEDAN  [Sept.  i,  1870 

generals,  and  courtiers,  got  on  horseback,  as  did  also 
the  Chief,  and  the  whole  party  moved  towards  the 
crest  of  the  height.  The  distant  roar  of  the  cannon 
announced  that  the  battle  was  in  full  progress.  It  was 
a  bright  sunny  day,  with  a  cloudless  sky. 

Leaving  Engel  in  charge  of  the  carriage  I  after 
a  while  followed  the  horsemen,  whom  I  found  in  a 
ploughed  field  from  which  one  had  an  extensive  view  of 
the  district.  Beneath  was  a  deep  wide  valley,  mostly 
green,  with  patches  of  wood  on  the  heights  that  sur- 
rounded it.  The  blue  stream  of  the  Meuse  flowed  past 
a  town  of  moderate  size,  the  fortress  of  Sedan.  On  the 
crest  of  the  hill  next  us,  at  about  the  distance  of  a  rifle 
shot,  is  a  wood,  and  there  are  also  some  trees  to  the  left. 
To  the  right  in  the  foreground,  which  sloped  obliquely, 
in  a  series  of  steps  as  it  were,  towards  the  bottom  of 
the  valley,  was  stationed  a  Bavarian  battery,  which  kept 
up  a  sharp  fire  at  and  over  the  town.  Behind  the 
battery  were  dark  columns  of  infantry  and  cavalry. 
Still  farther  to  the  right,  from  a  hollow,  rose  a  thick 
column  of  smoke.  It  comes,  we  are  told,  from  the 
burning  village  of  Bazeilles.  We  are  only  about  an 
English  mile  in  a  beeline  from  Sedan,  and  in  the  clear 
atmosphere  one  can  easily  distinguish  the  houses  and 
churches.  In  the  distance,  to  the  left  and  right,  three 
or  four  villages,  and  beyond  them  all  towards  the 
horizon,  a  range  of  hills  covered  throughout  with  what 
aj)pears  to  be  a  pine  forest,  serves  as  a  frame  for  the 
whole  picture.  It  is  the  Ardennes,  on  the  Belgian 
frontier. 

The  main  positions  of  the  French  appear  to  be  on 
the  hillocks  immediately  beyond  the  fortress,  and  it 
looks  as  if  our  troops  intended  to  surround  them  there. 
For  the  moment  we  can  only  see  their  advance  on  the 


Sept.  I,  1870]     WATCHING  THE  BATTLE  OF  SEDAN  143 

right,  as  the  lines  of  our  artillery,  with  the  exception 
of  the  Bavarians,  who  are  posted  under  us,  are  lost 
behind  the  heights  as  they  slowly  move  forward. 
Gradually  the  smoke  of  the  guns  is  seen  beyond  the 
rising  ground  already  mentioned,  with  the  defile  in  the 
middle.  The  corps  that  are  advancing  in  half  circle  to 
enclose  the  enemy  are  steadily  endeavouring  to  com- 
plete the  circle.  To  the  left  all  is  still.  At  11  o'clock 
a  dark  grey  pillar  of  smoke  with  yellow  edges  rises 
from  the  fortress,  which  has  hardly  taken  any  part  in 
the  firing.  The  French  troops  beyond  Sedan  deliver 
an  energetic  fire,  and  at  the  same  time,  over  the  wood 
in  the  defile,  rise  numbers  of  small  white  clouds  from 
the  shells — whether  French  or  German  we  cannot  say. 
Sometimes,  also,  we  hear  the  rattle  of  the  mitrailleuse. 

There  was  a  brilliant  assembly  upon  the  hill.  The 
King,  Bismarck,  Moltke,  Roon,  a  number  of  Princes, 
Prince  Charles,  their  Highnesses  of  Weimar  and  Coburg, 
the  Hereditary  Grand  Duke  of  Mecklenburg,  generals, 
aides-de-camp.  Court  ofiicials,  Count  Hatzfeldt,  who 
disappeared  after  a  while,  Kutusoff,  the  Russian,  and 
Colonel  Walker,  the  English  Military  Plenipotentiary, 
together  with  General  Sheridan  and  his  aide  de  camp, 
all  in  uniform,  and  all  looking  through  field-glasses. 
The  King  stood,  while  others  sat  on  a  ridge  at  the  edge 
of  the  field,  as  did  the  Chancellor  also  at  times.  I  hear 
that  the  King  sent  word  round  that  it  was  better  not 
to  gather  into  large  groups,  as  the  French  in  the 
fortress  might  in  that  case  fire  at  us. 

After  11  o'clock  our  line  of  attack  advanced  further 
on  the  right  bank  of  the  Meuse  towards  the  main 
position  of  the  French,  who  were  thus  more  closely 
invested.  In  my  eagerness  I  began  to  express  my 
views   to    Count    Puckler,    probably    somewhat   louder 


144  DECIPHERING  IN  THE  FIELD        [Sept.  i,  1870 


than  was  necessary  or  quite  fitting  in  the  circumstances, 
and  so  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Chief,  who  has 
sharp  ears.  He  turned  round  and  beckoned  to  me  to 
come  to  him.  "  If  you  have  strategic  ideas  to  com- 
municate to  the  Count  it  would  be  well  if  you  managed 
to  do  so  somewhat  more  quietly,  doctor,  as  otherwise 
the  King  might  ask  who  is  speaking,  and  I  should  be 
obliged  to  present  you  to  him."  Shortly  afterwards  he 
received  telegrams,  six  of  which  he  gave  me  to  decipher, 
so  that  for  the  time  I  had  to  resign  my  part  as  a 
spectator. 

On  returning  to  the  carriage  I  found  in  Count 
Hatzfeldt  a  companion  who  had  also  been  obliged  to 
combine  business  with  pleasure.  The  Chief  had  in- 
structed him  to  copy  out  a  French  letter  of  four  pages 
which  had  been  intercepted  by  our  troops.  I  mounted 
the  box  and  set  to  work  deciphering,  while  the  battle 
roared  like  half-a-dozen  thunderstorms  on  the  other 
side  of  the  height.  In  my  eagerness  to  get  done  I  did 
not  feel  the  scorching  midday  sun,  which  raised  blisters 
on  one  of  my  ears. 

It  was  now  1  o'clock.  By  this  time  our  line  of  fire 
encircled  the  greater  part  of  the  enemy's  position  on 
the  heights  beyond  the  town.  Clouds  of  smoke  rose  in 
a  wide  arch,  while  the  well-known  small  puff-balls  of 
the  shrapnels  appeared  for  an  instant  and  burst  in  the 
air.  Only  to  the  left  there  yet  remained  a  space  where 
all  was  still.  The  Chancellor  now  sat  on  a  chair,  study- 
ing a  document  of  several  pages.  I  asked  if  he  would 
like  to  have  something  to  eat  or  drink,  as  we  had  come 
provided.  He  declined,  however,  saying,  "  I  should  be 
very  glad,  but  the  King  has  also  had  nothing." 

The  opposing  forces  on  the  other  side  of  the  river 
must  be  very  near  each  other,  as  we  hear  oftener  than 


Sept.  1, 1870]  BAZEILLES  IN  FLAMES  \o,% 

before  the  hateful  rattle  of  the  mitrailleuse.  Its  bark, 
however,  we  are  told,  is  worse  than  its  bite.  Between 
2  and  3  o'clock,  according  to  my  watch,  the  King  passed 
near  where  I  stood.  After  looking  for  a  while  through 
his  glass  towards  the  suburbs  of  Sedan,  he  said  to  those 
who  accompanied  him,  "  There,  to  the  left,  they  are 
pushing  forward  large  masses  of  troops ;  I  think  it  is  a 
sortie."  It  was,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  an  advance  of 
some  columns  of  infantry,  which,  however,  soon  retired, 
probably  because  they  found  that  although  this  place 
was  quiet  it  was  by  no  means  open.  Shortly  afterwards, 
with  the  assistance  of  the  field-glass,  one  could  see  the 
French  cavalry  deliver  several  attacks  on  the  crest  of 
the  hill  to  the  left  of  the  wood  near  the  defile,  which 
were  repelled  by  volleys  from  our  side.  After  these 
charges  it  could  be  seen,  even  with  the  naked  eye,  that 
the  ground  was  covered  with  white  objects,  horses  or 
soldiers'  cloaks.  Soon  afterwards  the  artillery  fire  grew 
weaker  at  all  points,  and  there  was  a  general  retreat 
of  the  French  towards  the  town  and  its  immediate 
vicinity.  As  already  mentioned,  they  had  for  some 
time  past  been  closed  in  on  the  left,  where  the  Wiir- 
temberg  troops  had  a  couple  of  batteries  not  far  from 
our  hill,  and  where,  as  we  were  informed,  the  5th  and 
11th  Army  Corps  had  cut  off  all  escape,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  small  gap  towards  the  Belgian  frontier.  After 
half-past  4  all  their  guns  were  silent,  and  somewhat 
later  ours  also  ceased  firing. 

Once  again  the  scene  becomes  more  animated.  Sud- 
denly bluish  white  clouds  rise  first  in  one  and  then  in  a 
second  part  of  the  town,  showing  that  it  is  burning  in  two 
places.  Bazeilles  also  is  still  in  flames,  and  is  sending 
up  a  pillar  of  dense  grey  yellow  vapour  into  the  clear 
evening  air.     The  soft  radiance  of  the  declining  sun  is 

VOL.  I  L 


146  CAPITULATION  [Sept.  r,  1870 

spreading  more  and  more  over  the  valley  at  our  feet, 
like  burnished  gold.  The  hillocks  of  the  battle-field,  the 
ravine  in  the  midst,  the  villages,  the  houses,  the  towers 
of  the  fortress,  the  suburb  of  Torcy,  and  the  broken 
bridge  in  the  distance  to  the  left,  stand  out  in  clear 
relief,  from  moment  to  moment  more  distinct  as  if  seen 
through  stronger  and  stronger  glasses. 

Towards  5  o'clock  General  Hindersin  speaks  to  the 
King,  and  I  fancy  I  catch  the  words,  "  Bombard  the 
town,"  and  a  "  heap  of  ruins."  A  quarter  of  an  hour 
later  a  Bavarian  officer  gallops  up  the  height  towards  us. 
General  von  Bothmer  sends  word  to  the  King  that 
General  Mailinger,  who  is  stationed  at  Torcy  with  the 
chasseurs,  reports  that  the  French  desire  to  capitulate, 
and  that  their  unconditional  surrender  has  been  de- 
manded. The  King  replied,  "  No  one  can  negotiate  this 
matter  except  myself.  Tell  the  general  that  the  bearer 
of  the  flas^  of  truce  must  come  to  me." 

The  Bavarian  rides  back  into  the  valley.  The  King 
then  speaks  to  Bismarck,  and  together  they  join  the 
Crown  Prince  (who  had  arrived  a  little  before),  Moltke 
and  Roon.  Their  Highnesses  of  Weimar  and  Coburg 
arc  also  with  them,  standing  a  little  to  one  side.  After 
a  while  a  Prussian  aide-de-camp  appears,  and  reports 
that  our  losses,  so  far  as  they  can  be  ascertained  up  to 
the  present,  are  not  great — those  of  the  Guards  being 
moderate,  of  the  Saxons  somewhat  more,  while  the  re- 
maining corps  engaged  suflS'ered  less.  Only  a  small 
proportion  of  the  French  have  escaped  into  the  woods 
in  the  direction  of  the  Belgian  frontier,  where  search  is 
now  beinsj  made  for  them.  All  the  rest  have  been  driven 
towards  Sedan. 

"  And  the  Emperor  ? "  questioned  the  King. 

"  We  do  not  know,"  answered  the  ofiicer. 


Sept.  1, 1870]     GENERAL  REILLE  SENT  TO  THE  KING      147 

Towards  6  o'clock,  however,  another  aide-de-camp 
appeared,  and  reported  that  the  Emperor  was  in  the 
town,  and  would  immediately  send  out  a  parlementaire. 
"  That  is  a  grand  success  !  "  said  the  King,  turning  to 
the  company.  "  I  thank  thee  (he  added  to  the  Crown 
Prince)  for  thy  share  in  it."  With  these  words  he  gave 
his  hand  to  his  son,  and  the  latter  kissed  it.  He 
then  held  out  his  hand  to  Moltke,  who  also  kissed  it. 
Finally  he  likewise  shook  hands  with  the  Chancellor, 
and  spoke  to  him  alone  for  some  time.  This  seemed  to 
excite  the  displeasure  of  some  of  their  Highnesses. 

Towards  half-past  6,  after  a  detachment  of  cuiras- 
siers had  been  posted  near  the  King  as  a  guard  of 
honour,  the  French  General  Reille,  Napoleon's  parle- 
imentaire,  rode  slowly  up  the  hill.  He  dismounted  at  a 
distance  of  some  ten  paces  from  the  King,  and  after 
approaching  his  Majesty  took  off  his  cap  and  handed 
over  a  letter  of  large  size  with  a  red  seal.  The  general 
is  an  elderly  gentleman  of  medium  height  and  slender 
figure,  in  an  unbuttoned  black  tunic  with  epaulettes  and 
shoulder  straps,  black  vest,  red  trousers  and  polished 
riding  boots.  He  has  no  sword,  but  carries  a  walking- 
stick  in  his  hand.  All  the  company  move  away  from 
the  King,  who  opens  and  reads  the  letter,  afterwards 
communicating  the  contents,  which  are  now  generally 
known,  to  Bismarck,  Moltke,  the  Crown  Prince  and  the 
other  personages.  Eeille  stands  a  little  further  off,  at 
first  alone,  and  later  in  conversation  with  some  Prussian 
generals.  The  Crown  Prince,  Moltke  and  his  Highness 
of  Coburg  also  speak  to  him  while  the  King  takes 
counsel  with  the  Chancellor,  who  then  commissions 
Hatzfeldt  to  prepare  a  draft  of  the  answer  to  the  imperial 
letter.  Hatzfeldt  brings  it  in  a  few  minutes  and  the 
King  copies  it,  sitting  on  one  chair,  while  the  seat  of 

L  2 


148  AN  EARL  V  VIS/TO/?  [Sept.  2, 1870 

another,  held  by  Major  von  Alten,  who  kneels  before 
him,  serves  as  a  desk. 

Shortly  before  7  o'clock  the  French  general 
rides  back  towards  Sedan  in  the  twihght,  accompanied 
by  an  officer  and  a  uhlan  trumpeter  carrying  a  white 
flag.  The  town  is  now  in  flames  in  three  places,  and 
the  lurid  columns  of  smoke  that  rise  from  Bazeilles 
shows  it  to  be  still  burning.  The  tragedy  of  Sedan  is 
over,  and  night  lets  down  the  curtain. 

There  might  be  an  epilogue  on  the  following  day, 
but  for  the  present  every  one  returned  home.  The  King 
went  back  to  Vendresse,  the  Chief,  Count  Bismarck- 
Bohlen  and  I  drove  to  the  little  town  of  Donchery, 
where  it  was  quite  dark  when  we  arrived.  We  put  up 
at  the  house  of  a  Dr.  Jeanjot.  The  town  was  full  of 
Wurtemberg  soldiers,  who  were  camped  in  the  market- 
place. Our  reason  for  coming  here  was  that  an 
arrangement  had  been  made  according  to  which  the 
Chancellor  and  Moltke  were  this  evening  to  meet  the 
French  plenipotentiary  to  try  to  settle  the  conditions  of 
the  capitulation  of  the  four  French  army  corps  now 
confined  in  Sedan. 

I  slept  here  in  an  alcove  near  the  back  room  on  the 
first  floor,  with  only  the  wall  between  me  and  the 
Minister,  who  had  the  large  front  room.  Towards  6 
o'clock  in  the  morning  I  was  awakened  by  hasty  foot- 
steps, and  heard  Engel  say  :  "  Excellency,  Excellency, 
there  is  a  French  general  at  the  door.  I  cannot 
understand  what  he  wants."  The  Minister  would 
appear  to  have  got  up  hurriedly  and  spoken  a  few 
words  to  the  French  officer,  who  turned  out  to  be 
General  Eeille.  The  consequence  was  that  he  dressed 
immediately,  and  without  waiting  either  for  breakfast 
or  to  have  his  clothes  brushed,  mounted  his  horse  and 


Sept.  2, 1870]    BISMARCK'S  BOOKS  OF  DEVOTION  149 

rode  rapidly  off.  I  rushed  to  his  window  to  see  in  what 
direction  he  went.  I  saw  him  trot  off  towards  the 
market-place.  In  the  room  everything  was  lying  about 
in  disorder.  On  the  floor  lay  the  "  Tdglich  Losungen 
und  Lehrtexte  der  Briidergemeinde  fur  1870"  (Daily 
Watchwords  and  Texts  of  the  Moravian  Brethren  for 
1870),  and  on  the  toilette  stand  was  another  manual  of 
devotion,  "  Die  tcigliche  Erquickung  fur  glmihige 
Christen "  (Daily  Spiritual  Refreshment  for  Believing 
Christians),  which  Engel  told  me  the  Chancellor  was 
accustomed  to  read  at  night. 

I  now  hastily  dressed  myself  also,  and  after  I  had 
informed  them  downstairs  that  the  Chief  had  gone  off 
to  Sedan  to  meet  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  who  had  left 
the  fortress,  I  followed  him  as  fast  as  I  could.  Some 
800  paces  from  the  bridge  across  the  Meuse  atDonchery 
to  the  right  of  the  road,  planted  with  poplars,  stands  a 
single  house,  then  the  residence  of  a  Belgian  weaver. 
It  is  painted  yellow,  is  but  one  story  high,  and  has  four 
windows  on  the  front.  There  are  white  shutters  to  the 
windows  on  the  ground  floor ;  the  Venetian  blinds  on 
those  of  the  first  floor  are  also  painted  white,  and  it  has 
a  slate  roof,  like  most  of  the  houses  at  Donchery.  Near 
it  to  the  left  is  a  potato  field,  now  full  of  white 
blossoms,  while  to  the  right,  across  the  path  that  leads 
to  the  house,  stand  some  bushes.  I  see  here  that  the 
Chancellor  has  already  met  the  Emperor.  In  front  of 
the  house  are  six  French  officers  of  high  rank,  of  whom 
five  have  caps  with  gold  trimmings,  while  that  worn  by 
the  sixth  is  black.  What  appears  to  be  a  hackney 
coach  with  four  seats  is  waiting  on  the  road.  Bismarck 
and  his  cousin.  Count  Bohlen,  are  standing  opposite  the 
Frenchmen,  while  a  little  way  off  is  Leverstrom,  as 
well  as  two  hussars,   one  brown  and  one  black.     At  8 


I50  NAPOLEON  [Sept.  2,1870 

o'clock  Moltke  arrives  with  a  few  officers  of  the  general 
staff,  but  leaves  again  after  a  short  stay.  Soon  after- 
wards a  short,  thick-set  man,  in  a  red  cap  braided  with 
gold  lace,  and  wearing  red  trousers  and  a  hooded  cape 
lined  with  red,  steps  from  behind  the  house  and  speaks 
at  first  to  the  French  officers,  some  of  whom  are  sitting 
under  the  hedge  by  the  potato  field.  He  has  white  kid 
gloves,  and  smokes  a  cigarette.  It  is  the  Emperor.  At 
the  short  distance  at  which  I  stand  from  him  I  can 
clearly  distinguish  his  features.  There  is  something 
soft  and  dreamy  in  the  look  of  his  light  grey  eyes, 
which  resemble  those  of  people  who  have  lived  fast. 
His  cap  is  set  a  little  to  the  right,  in  which  direction  the 
head  is  also  bent.  The  short  legs  do  not  seem  in 
proportion  with  the  long  upper  part  of  the  body.  His 
whole  appearance  has  something  unmilitary  about  it. 
The  man  is  too  soft,  I  am  inclined  to  think  too  pulpy, 
for  the  uniform  he  wears.  One  could  even  fancy  that 
he  is  capable  of  becoming  sentimental  at  times.  Those 
ideas,  which  are  mere  impressions,  force  themselves 
upon  one  all  the  more  when  one  glances  at  the  tall, 
well-set  figure  of  our  Chancellor.  Napoleon  seems 
fatigued,  but  not  very  much  depressed.  Nor  does  he 
look  so  old  as  I  had  expected.  He  might  pass  for  a 
tolerably  well-preserved  man  of  fifty.  After  a  while  he 
goes  over  to  the  Chief,  and  speaks  to  him  for  about 
three  minutes,  and  then — still  smoking  and  with  his 
hands  behind  his  back — walks  up  and  down  by  the 
potato  garden.  A  further  short  conversation  follows 
between  the  Chancellor  and  the  Emperor,  begun  by 
Bismarck,  after  which  Napoleon  once  more  converses 
witli  his  French  suite.  About  a  quarter  to  9  o'clock 
Bismarck  and  his  cousin  leave,  goinc:  in  the  direction 
of  Donchery,  whither  I  follow  them. 


Sept.  2,1 87o]    NEGOTIATING  THE  CAPITULATION  151 

The  Minister  repeatedly  related  the  occurrences  of 
this  morning  and  the  preceding  night.  In  the  follow- 
ing paragraphs  I  unite  all  these  various  statements  into 
a  connected  whole.  The  sense  of  what  the  Chancellor 
said  is  faithfully  given  throughout,  and  his  own  words 
are  in  great  part  reproduced. 

"After  the  battle  of  the  1st  of  September,  Moltke 
and  I  went  to  Donchery,  about  five  kilometres  from 
Sedan,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on  the  negotiations 
with  the  French.  We  spent  the  night  there,  the  King 
and  his  suite  returning  to  Vendresse.  The  negotiations 
lasted  until  midnight,  without,  however,  leading  to  an 
understanding.  In  addition  to  Moltke  and  myself, 
Blumenthal  and  three  or  four  other  officers  of  the 
general  staff  were  present.  General  Wimpffen  was  the 
French  spokesman.  Moltke's  demand  was  very  short. 
The  whole  French  army  must  surrender  as  prisoners  of 
war.  Wimpffen  considered  that  too  hard.  The  army 
had  deserved  better  treatment  by  the  gallantry  it  had 
shown  in  action.  We  ought  to  be  content  to  let  them 
go  on  condition  that  they  took  no  further  part  in  the 
war,  and  removed  to  some  district  in  France  to  be 
fixed  upon  by  us,  or  to  Algiers.  Moltke  quietly  main- 
tained his  demand.  Wimpff"en  dwelt  upon  his  own 
unfortunate  position.  He  had  joined  the  troops  two 
days  before  on  his  return  from  Africa,  and  only  took 
over  the  command  when  MacMahon  w^as  wounded 
towards  the  close  of  the  battle — and  yet  he  must  now 
put  his  signature  to  such  a  capitulation.  He  would 
rather  try  to  hold  the  fortress  or  venture  a  sortie. 
Moltke  regretted  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to 
make  allowance  for  the  position  of  the  general,  the 
hardship  of  which  he  appreciated.  Ho  recognised  the 
gallantry  of  the  French  troops,  but  they  could  not  possibly 


152  THE  FRENCH  CANNOT  BE  TRUSTED    [Sept.  2, 1870 

hold  Sedan,  and  a  sortie  was  out  of  the  question.  He  was 
prepared  to  allow  one  of  the  general's  officers  to  inspect 
our  positions,  in  order  that  he  might  convince  himself 
of  that  fact.    Wimj)ffen  then  urged  that  from  a  political 
standpoint  it  was  advisable  to  grant  better  terms.     We 
must   desire    a  speedy  and   permanent  peace,   and  we 
could  now  secure  it  if  we  acted  generously.     A  con- 
siderate  treatment  of  the  army  would  put  both  the 
soldiers  and  the  whole  people  under  an  obligation  of 
gratitude,  and  would  inspire  friendly  feelings  towards 
us.     An  opposite  course  would  lead  to  endless  war.     I 
intervened  at  this  point,  as  my  trade  came  into  question 
here.     I  told  WimpfFen  it  was  possible  to  trust  to  the 
gratitude  of  a   Prince   but    not  to  that   of   a   people, 
and  least  of  all  to  that  of  the  French.     They  had  no 
permanent  institutions,  they  were  constantly  changing 
governments  and  dynasties,  which  were  not  bound  by 
what    their    predecessors    had     undertaken.       If     the 
Emperor's   throne  were   secure  it  would  be  possible  to 
count  upon  his  gratitude  in  return  for  more  favourable 
conditions.     As  matters  stood  it  would  be  foolish  not 
to  avail  themselves  to  the  full  of  the  advantages  of  our 
success.     The  French  were  an  envious,  jealous  people. 
They  were  angry  with  us  for  our  victory  at  Sadowa, 
and  could  not  forgive  us  for  it,  although  it  had  not 
injured  them.     How  then  could  any  generosity  on  our 
part  prevent  them  from  bearing  us  a  grudge  for  Sedan  ? 
WimpfFen  could  not  agree   to  that.     The  French  had 
changed  latterly,  and  had  learnt  under  the  Empire  to 
think  more  of  peaceful  interests  than  of  the  glory  of 
war.     They  were  ready  to  proclaim  the  brotherhood  of 
nations,  and  so  on.     It  was  not  difficult  to  pro\e  the 
contrary,    and   to    show    that   the    acceptance    of    his 
proposals  would  lead  rather  to   a  prolongation  of  the 


Sept.2,  i87o]    NAPOLEON  ASKS  TO  SEE  BISMARCK  153 

war,  than  to  its  termination.  I  j&nished  by  saying  that 
we  must  maintain  our  conditions.  Castelneau  then 
spoke,  explaining  on  behalf  of  the  Emperor  that  the 
latter  had  only  given  up  his  sword  on  the  previous  day 
in  the  hope  of  an  honourable  capitulation.  I  asked, 
'  Whose  sword  was  that  ?  The  Emperor's,  or  that  of 
France?'  He  replied,  'Merely  the  Emperor's.'  'Well 
then,'  interjected  Moltke,  sharp  as  lightning — a  gleam 
of  satisfaction  overspreading  his  hawk-like  features — 
'  There  can  be  no  further  question  of  any  other  condi- 
tions.' '  Very  well,'  declared  Wimpffen,  '  in  that  case 
we  shall  renew  the  fight  to-morrow.'  '  I  will  see  that 
our  fire  commences  at  4  o'clock,'  said  Moltke,  on  which 
the  French  expressed  a  wish  to  retire.  I  induced  them, 
however,  to  remain  a  little  longer  and  to  consider  the 
matter  once  more.  The  result  was  that  they  ultimately 
begged  for  an  extension  of  the  armistice,  in  order  to 
consult  with  their  people  in  Sedan.  At  first  Moltke  did 
not  wish  to  agree  to  this,  but  finally  consented  on  my 
pointing  out  to  him  that  it  could  do  no  harm. 

"Towards  6  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  2nd  of 
September,  General  Reille  appeared  before  my  lodging 
at  Donchery,  and  said  the  Emperor  wished  to  speak  to 
me.  I  dressed  immediately  and  got  on  horseback, 
dirty,  unwashed,  and  dusty  as  I  was,  to  ride  to  Sedan, 
where  I  expected  to  see  the  Emperor.  I  met  him, 
however,  on  the  road  near  Fresnois,  three  kilometres 
from  Donchery.  He  sat  with  three  officers  in  a  two- 
•  horse  carriage,  three  others  accompanying  him  on  horse- 
back. Of  these  officers  I  only  knew  Reille,  Castelneau, 
Moscowa,  and  Vaubert.  I  had  my  revolver  buckled 
round  my  waist,  and  as  I  found  myself  alone  in  the 
presence  of  the  six  officers  I  may  have  glanced  at  it 
involuntarily.     I  may  perhaps  even  have  instinctively 


154  NAPOLEON  AND  BISMARCK  MEET    [Sept.  2, 1870 

laid  my  hand  upon  it.  Napoleon  probably  noticed  that, 
as  his  face  turned  an  ashy  grey.  Possibly  he  thought 
that  history  might  repeat  itself — I  think  it  was  a  Prince 
de  Conde  who  was  murdered  while  a  prisoner  after  a 
battle.  1 

"  I  saluted  in  military  fashion.  The  Emperor  took 
ofl'  his  cap,  the  officers  following  his  example,  where- 
upon I  also  removed  mine,  although  it  was  contrary  to 
the  regulations  to  do  so.  He  said,  '  Couvrez-vous, 
done'  I  treated  him  exactly  as  if  we  were  at  Saint 
Cloud,  and  asked  him  what  his  commands  were.  He 
wished  to  know  whether  he  could  speak  to  the  King. 
I  said  that  was  impossible,  as  his  Majesty's  quarters 
were  about  two  German  miles  away.  I  did  not  wish 
him  to  see  the  Kino;  before  we  had  come  to  an  under- 
standing  as  to  the  capitulation.  He  then  asked  where 
he  could  wait,  which  indicated  that  he  could  not  return 
to  Sedan,  as  he  had  either  experienced  or  apprehended 
some  unpleasantness  there.  The  town  was  full  of 
drunken  soldiers,  which  was  a  great  hardship  for  the 
inhabitants.  I  offered  him  my  quarters  at  Donchery, 
which  I  was  prepared  to  leave  immediately.  He 
accepted  the  offer,  but  when  we  had  come  within  a  few 
hundred  yards  of  the  town  he  asked  whether  he  could 
not  stay  in  a  house  which  he  saw  by  the  road.  I  sent 
my  cousin,  who  had  followed  me,  to  view  the  house. 
On  his  report  I  told  the  Emperor  that  it  was  a  very 
poor  place.  He  replied  that  it  did  not  matter.  After 
he  had  gone  over  to  the  house  and  come  back  again, 
having  probably  been  unable  to  find  the  stairs  which 
were  at  the  back,  I  accompanied  him  to  the  first  floor, 

^  Louis  de  Cond6  was  treacherously  murdered  on  the  12th  of  Marcli, 
1509,  after  the  engagement  at  Jai'nac,  just  as  lie  had  delivered  up  liis 
sword  to  an  oflicer  of  the  royal  army,  being  shot  by  one  Montesquieu,  a 
captain  of  the  Guards, 


Sept.2,  i87o]  THE  INTERVIEW  155 

where  we  entered  a  small  room  with  one  window.  It 
was  the  best  in  the  house,  but  its  only  furniture  was  a 
deal  table  and  two  rush-bottomed  chairs. 

"  Here  I  had  a  conversation  with  him  which  lasted 
for  nearly  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  He  complained 
first  of  this  fatal  war,  which  he  had  not  desired.  He 
was  forced  into  it  by  the  pressure  of  public  opinion. 
I  replied  that  in  Germany  nobody  had  wished  for  war, 
and  the  King  least  of  all.  We  had  regarded  the 
Spanish  question  as  a  matter  concerning  Spain  and 
not  Germany,  and  we  were  justified  in  expecting  from 
the  good  relations  between  the  princely  house  of 
HohenzoUern  and  himself  that  an  understanding  could 
be  easily  come  to  with  the  Hereditary  Prince.  We 
then  went  on  to  speak  of  the  present  situation.  He 
wished  above  all  to  obtain  more  favourable  terms  of 
capitulation.  I  explained  that  I  could  not  go  into  that 
question,  as  it  was  a  purely  military  one,  wdth  which 
Moltke  would  have  to  deal.  On  the  other  hand  it  was 
open  to  us  to  discuss  an  eventual  peace.  He  replied 
that  he  was  a  prisoner,  and  therefore  not  in  a  position 
to  decide.  On  my  asking  him  whom  he  regarded  as 
competent  to  treat,  he  referred  me  to  the  Government 
in  Paris.  I  observed  that  the  situation  had  therefore 
not  changed  since  yesterday,  and  that  we  must  main- 
tain our  demand  respecting  the  army  in  Sedan,  as 
a  guarantee  that  we  should  not  lose  the  benefits 
of  our  victory.  Moltke,  to  whom  I  had  sent  word, 
and  who  had  arrived  in  the  meantime,  was  of  the 
same  opinion,  and  went  to  the  King  in  order  to 
tell  him  so. 

"Standing  befm^  the  house  the  Emperor  praised 
our  army  and  the  manner  in  which  it  had  been  led. 
On  my  acknowledging  that  the  French  had  also  fought 


156  WILLIAM  AND  NAPOLEON         [Sept.  2, 1870 

well,  he  came  back  to  tlie  conditions  of  the  capitulation, 
and  asked  whether  we  could  not  allow  the  troops  shut 
up  in  Sedan  to  cross  the  Belgian  frontier,  there  to  be 
disarmed  and  held  as  prisoners.  I  tried  again  to  make 
it  clear  to  him  that  that  was  a  question  for  the  military 
authorities,  and  could  not  be  settled  without  the 
concurrence  of  Moltke.  Besides,  he  himself  had 
just  declared  that  as  a  prisoner  he  was  not  able  to 
exercise  his  authority,  and  that  accordingly  negoti- 
ations respecting  questions  of  thatj  kind  should 
be  carried  on  with  the  principal  officer  in  command 
at  Sedan. 

"  In  the  meantime  a  search  had  been  made  for  a 
better  lodging  for  the  Emperor,  and  the  officers  of  the 
general  staff  found  that  the  little  chateau  of  Bellevue 
near  Fresnois,  where  I  first  met  him,  was  suitable  for 
his  reception,  and  was  not  yet  requisitioned  for  the 
wounded.  I  advised  him  to  remove  there,  as  it  would 
be  more  comfortable  than  the  weaver's  house,  and  that 
possibly  he  wanted  rest.  We  would  let  the  King  know 
that  he  was  there.  He  agreed  to  this,  and  I  rode  back 
to  Donchery  to  change  my  clothes.  I  then  accom- 
panied him  to  Bellevue  with  a  squadron  of  the  1st 
Cuirassier  Regiment  as  a  guard  of  honour.  The  Emperor 
wished  the  King  to  be  present  at  the  negotiations  which 
began  here — doubtless  counting  on  his  soft-heartedness 
and  good  nature — but  he  also  desired  me  to  take  part 
in  them.  I  had  however  decided  that  the  soldiers,  who 
were  made  of  sterner  stuff,  should  settle  the  affair  by 
themselves ;  and  so  I  whispered  to  an  officer  as  I  went 
up  the  stairs  to  call  me  in  five  minutes  and  say  that  the 
King  wanted  to  speak  to  me.  This  was  accordingly 
done.  Napoleon  was  informed  that  he  could  only  see 
the  King  after  the  conclusion  of  the  capitulation.     The 


Sept.2,i87o]  A  DRAMATIC  MEETING  157 

matter  was  therefore  arranged  between  Moltke  and 
Wimpflfen,  much  on  the  lines  that  were  laid  down  the 
evening  before.  Then  the  two  monarchs  met.  As  the 
Emperor  came  out  after  the  interview  his  eyes  were 
filled  with  heavy  tears.  In  speaking  to  me  he  was 
much  less  affected,  and  was  perfectly  dignified." 

We  had  no  detailed  particulars  of  these  events  on 
the  forenoon  of  the  2nd  of  September ;  and  from  the 
moment  when  the  Chief,  in  a  fresh  uniform  and 
cuirassier's  helmet,  rode  ofi"  from  Donchery  until  late 
at  night,  we  only  heard  vague  rumours  of  what  was 
going  on.  About  10.30  a.m.  a  detachment  of  Wiirtem- 
berg  artillery  drove  past  our  house  at  a  trot.  In  every 
direction  clouds  of  dust  rose  from  the  hoofs  of  the 
cavalry,  while  the  bayonets  of  long  columns  of  infantry 
glistened  in  the  sun.  The  road  at  our  feet  was  filled 
with  a  procession  of  waggons  loaded  with  baggage  and 
forage.  Presently  we  met  Lieutenant  von  Czernicki, 
who  wanted  to  go  into  Sedan,  and  invited  us  to  drive 
with  him  in  his  little  carriage.  We  had  accompanied 
him  nearly  as  far  as  Fresnois  when,  at  about  1  o'clock, 
we  met  the  King  with  a  large  suite  on  horseback,  in- 
cluding the  Chancellor,  coming  in  the  opposite  direction. 
As  it  was  probable  that  the  Chief  was  going  to  Don- 
chery we  got  out  and  followed  him.  The  party, 
however,  which  included  Hatzfeldt  and  Abeken,  rode 
through  the  town,  and  we  heard  that  they  were  viewing 
the  battle-field.  As  we  did  not  know  how  lonff  the 
Minister  would  remain  away  we  did  not  venture  to 
leave  Donchery. 

About  1.30  P.M.  some  thousands  of  prisoners 
marched  through  the  town  on  their  way  to  Germany. 
Most  of  them  were  on  foot,  but  some  of  them  were  in 
carts.     They  included  about  sixty  to  seventy  officers, 


1 58  PRINCEL  V  INTRUDERS  [Sept.  2, 1870 

and  a  general  who  was  on  horseback.  Amongst  the 
prisoners  were  cuirassiers  in  white  helmets,  blue 
hussars  with  white  facings,  and  infantrymen  of  the 
22nd,  52nd  and  58th  regiments.  They  were  escorted 
by  Wlirtemberg  infantry.  At  2  o'clock  followed  a 
second  batch  of  about  2000  prisoners,  amongst  whom 
were  negroes  in  Arab  costume — tall,  broad-shouldered 
fellows,  with  savage,  ape-like  features,  and  some  old 
soldiers  wearing  the  Crimean  and  Mexican  medals. 

A  little  after  3  o'clock  two  French  guns,  with 
their  ammunition  waggons  and  still  drawn  by  French 
horses,  passed  through  our  street.  The  words  "5,  Jiiger, 
Gorlitz  "  were  written  in  chalk  on  one  of  the  guns. 
Shortly  afterwards  a  fire  broke  out  in  one  of  the  streets 
to  the  left  of  our  quarters.  Wurtemberg  soldiers  had 
opened  a  cask  of  brandy  and  had  imprudently  made  a 
fire  near  it. 

Considerable  distress  prevailed  in  the  town,  and 
even  our  landlord  (he  and  his  wife  were  good  souls) 
suffered  from  a  scarcity  of  bread.  The  place  was  over- 
crowded with  soldiers,  who  were  quartered  on  the  in- 
habitants, and  with  the  wounded  who  were  sometimes 
put  up  in  stables.  Some  of  the  people  attached  to  the 
Court  tried  to  secure  our  house  for  the  Hereditary  Grand 
Duke  of  Weimar,  but  we  held  out  successfully  against 
them.  Then  an  ofiicer  wanted  to  quarter  a  Prince  of 
Mecklenburg  upon  us,  but  we  also  sent  him  packing, 
telling  him  it  was  out  of  the  question,  as  the  Chancellor 
of  the  Confederation  lodged  there.  After  a  short 
absence,  however,  I  found  that  the  AVcimar  gentlemen 
had  forced  themselves  into  the  house.  We  had  reason 
to  be  thankful  that  they  did  not  turn  our  Chief  out  of 
his  bed. 

The  Minister  only  returned  after   1 1   o'clock  and  I 


Sept.2,  i87o]    NAPOLEON  TO  GO  TO  WILHELMSHOHE     159 


liad  supper  with  him,  the  party  also  including  the 
Hereditary  Grand  Duke  of  Weimar,  in  the  uniform  of 
the  Light  Blue  Hussars,  and  Count  Solms-Sonnenwalde, 
formerly  attached  to  the  Embassy  in  Paris,  and  now 
properly  speaking  a  member  of  our  staff,  although  we 
had  seen  very  little  of  him  recently. 

The  Chancellor  gave  us  very  full  particulars  of  his 
ride  over  the  battle-field.  He  had  been  nearly  twelve 
hours  in  the  saddle,  with  short  intervals.  They  had 
been  over  the  whole  field,  and  were  received  with  great 
enthusiasm  in  all  the  camps  and  bivouacs.  It  was  said 
that  during  the  battle  our  troops  had  taken  over  25,000 
prisoners,  while  40,000  who  were  in  Sedan  surrendered 
under  the  capitulation,  which  was  concluded  about  noon. 

The  Minister  told  us  that  Napoleon  was  to  leave 
for  Germany,  that  is  to  say  for  Wilhelmshohe,  on  the 
following  morning.  "  The  question  is,"  said  the  Chief, 
"  whether  he  is  to  go  by  way  of  Stenay  and  Bar  le  Due 
or  throuQ-h  Beloium."  "  In  Belgium  he  would  no 
longer  be  a  prisoner,"  said  Solms.  "  Well,  that  would 
not  matter,"  replied  the  Chief,  "  and  it  would  not  even 
do  any  harm  if  he  took  another  direction.  I  was  in 
favour  of  his  going  through  Belgium,  and  he  seemed  also 
inclined  to  take  that  route.  If  he  failed  to  keep  his 
word  it  would  not  injure  us.  But  it  would  be  necessary 
to  communicate  beforehand  with  Brussels,  and  we 
could  not  have  an  answer  in  less  than  two  days." 

About  8  o'clock  on  the  following  morning,  just  as  I 
was  at  breakfast,  we  heard  a  noise  which  sounded  like 
heavy  firing.  It  was  only  the  horses  in  a  neighbouring 
stable  stamping  on  the  wooden  floor,  probably  out  of 
temper  that  they  also  should  have  been  put  on  short 
commons,  as  the  drivers  had  only  been  able  to  give 
them  half  measures  of  oats.     As  a  matter  of  fact  there 


i6o  THE  FRENCH  PRISONERS  [Sept.  2, 1870 

was  a  general  scarcity.  I  heard  subsequently  that 
Hatzfeldt  had  been  commissioned  by  the  Chief  to  go  to 
Brussels.  Shortly  afterwards  the  Chancellor  called  me 
to  his  bedside.  He  had  received  500  cigars,  and  wished 
me  to  divide  them  among  the  wounded.  I  accordingly 
betook  myself  to  the  barracks,  which  had  been  trans- 
formed into  a  hospital,  and  to  the  bedrooms,  barns  and 
stables  in  the  street  behind  our  house.  At  first  I  only 
wished  to  divide  my  stock  amongst  the  Prussians ;  but 
the  Frenchmen  who  were  sitting  by  cast  such  longing 
glances  at  them,  and  their  German  neighbours  on  the 
straw  pleaded  so  warmly  on  their  behalf — "  We  can't 
let  them  look  on  while  we  are  smoking,  they  too  have 
shared  everything  with  us  " — that  I  regarded  it  as  no 
robbery  to  give  them  some  too.  They  all  complained 
of  hunger,  and  asked  how  long  they  were  going  to  be 
kept  there.  Later  on  they  were  supplied  with  soup, 
bread  and  sausages,  and  some  of  those  in  the  barns  and 
stables  were  even  treated  to  bouillon  and  chocolate  by 
a  Bavarian  volunteer  hospital  attendant. 

The  morning  was  cold,  dull  and  rainy.  The  masses 
of  Prussian  and  Wilrtemberg  troops  who  marched 
through  the  town  seemed  however  in  the  best  of  spirits. 
They  sang  to  the  music  of  their  bands.  In  all  proba- 
bility the  feelings  of  the  prisoners  who  sat  in  the  long 
line  of  carts  that  passed  in  the  opposite  direction  at  the 
same  time  were  more  in  harmony  with  the  disagreeable 
weather  and  the  clouded  sky.  About  10  o'clock,  as  I 
waded  in  the  drizzling  rain  through  the  deep  mud  of 
the  market-place  in  fulfilment  of  my  mission  to  the 
wounded,  I  met  a  long  procession  of  conveyances 
coming  from  the  Meuse  bridge  under  the  escort  of  the 
black  death's-head  hussars.  Most  of  them  were  covered 
coaches,  the  remainder  being  baggage  and  commissariat 


Sept.  2,  1870]  THE  PRISONER  OF  SEDAN  161 

carts.  They  were  followed  by  a  number  of  saddle 
horses.  In  a  closed  coupe  immediately  behind  the 
hussars  sat  the  *'  Prisoner  of  Sedan,"  the  Emperor 
Napoleon,  on  his  way  to  Wilhelmshohe  through 
Belgium.  General  Castelneau  had  a  seat  in  his  carriage. 
He  was  followed  in  an  open  waggonette  by  the  infantry 
general,  Adjutant- General  von  Boyen,  who  had  been 
selected  by  the  King  as  the  Emperor's  travelling- 
companion,  and  by  Prince  Lynar  and  some  of  the 
officers  who  had  been  present  at  Napoleon's  meeting 
with  the  Chancellor  on  the  previous  day.  "  Boyen  is 
capitally  suited  for  that  mission,"  said  the  Chief  to  us 
the  night  before  ;  "he  can  be  extremely  rude  in  the 
most  polite  way."  The  Minister  was  probably  think- 
ing of  the  possibility  that  some  of  the  officers  in 
the  entourage  of  the  august  prisoner  might  take 
liberties. 

We  learned  afterwards  that  an  indirect  route 
through  Donchery  had  been  taken,  as  the  Emperor  was 
particularly  anxious  not  to  pass  through  Sedan.  The 
hussars  went  as  far  as  the  frontier  near  Bouillon,  the 
nearest  Belgian  town.  The  Emperor  was  not  treated 
with  disrespect  by  the  French  prisoners  whom  the  party 
passed  on  the  way.  The  officers  on  the  other  hand  had 
occasionally  to  listen  to  some  unpleasant  remarks. 
Naturally  they  were  "  traitors,"  as  indeed  from  this 
time  forward  everybody  was  who  lost  a  battle  or 
suffered  any  other  mishap.  It  seems  to  have  been  a 
particularly  painful  moment  for  these  gentlemen  when 
they  passed  a  great  number  of  French  field  pieces 
that  had  fallen  into  our  hands.  Boyen  related  the 
following  anecdote.  One  of  the  Emperor's  aides-de- 
camp, I  believe  it  was  the  Prince  de  la  Moscowa, 
thought   the  guns  belonged  to  us,  as  they  were  drawn 

VOL.  I  M 


i62  FRENCH  AND  PRUSSIAN  GUNS     [Sept.  2,  1870 

by  our  horses,  yet  was  apparently  struck  by  something 
in  their  appearance.     He  asked  : — 

"  Quoi,  cst-ce  que  vous  avez  deux  systemes  d'artil- 
lerie  ? " 

"  Non,  monsieur,  nous  n'avons  qu'un  seul,"  was  the 
reply. 

"  Mais  ces  canons-la  ?  " 

"  lis  ne  sont  pas  les  notres,  monsieur." 


CHAPTER  VII 

FROM  THE  MEUSE  TO  THE  MARNE 

I  AGAIN  quote  from  my  diary. 

Saturday/,  September  Srd.  — We  left  Donchery 
shortly  before  1  o'clock.  On  the  way  we  were  overtaken 
by  a  short  but  severe  storm,  the  thunder  echoing  along 
the  valleys.  This  was  followed  by  a  heavy  rain,  which 
thoroughly  drenched  the  Chancellor,  who  sat  in  an  open 
carriage,  as  he  told  us  in  the  evening  at  table.  Happily 
it  had  no  serious  consequences :  it  depends  more  on 
diplomacy,  and  if  the  Chief  were  to  fall  ill  who  could 
replace  him  ? 

I  drove  with  the  Councillors.  Count  Bohlen  gave 
us  numerous  details  of  the  events  of  yesterday.  Napoleon 
had  left  Sedan  at  such  an  early  hour — it  must  have  been 
before  or  shortly  after  daybreak — because  he  felt  it  was 
unsafe  to  remain  in  the  midst  of  the  furious  soldiery, 
who  were  packed  into  the  fortress  like  herrings  in  a 
barrel,  and  who  burst  into  paroxysms  of  rage,  breaking 
their  rifles  and  swords  on  hearing  of  the  capitulation. 
During  the  first  interview  at  Donchery  the  Minister  had, 
amongst  other  things,  told  Wimpfl'en  he  must  be  well 
aware  that  the  arrogance  and  quarrelsomeness  of  the 
French,  and  their  jealousy  at  the  success  of  neighbour- 
ing peoples,  did  not  originate   with   the   working   and 

M  2 


i64  A  LETTER  FROM  THE  CHANCELLOR'S  WIFE  [Sept.  3, 1870 

industrial  classes,  but  with  the  journalists  and  the  mob. 
These  elements,  however,  swayed  public  opinion,  con- 
straining it  to  their  will.  For  that  reason  the  m.oral 
guarantees  to  which  the  general  had  referred  would  be 
of  no  value.  We  must  have  material  guarantees,  at 
present  by  the  capitulation  of  the  army  in  Sedan,  and 
then  by  the  cession  of  the  great  fortresses  in  the  East. 
The  surrender  of  the  French  troops  took  place  on  a  kind 
of  peninsula  formed  by  a  bend  of  the  Meuse.  Moltke  had 
ridden  out  some  distance  from  Vendresse  to  meet  the  King. 
The  interview  between  the  two  Sovereigns  took  place  in 
the  drawing-room  of  the  chateau  of  Bellevue.  They  were 
alone  together  for  about  ten  minutes.  Subsequently  the 
King  summoned  the  officers  of  his  suite,  ordered  the  cap- 
itulation to  be  read  to  him,  and,  with  tears  in  his  eyes, 
thanked  them  for  their  assistance.  The  Crown  Prince 
is  understood  to  have  informed  the  Hessian  regiments 
that  the  King  had  selected  Cassel  for  the  internment  of 
the  Emperor  Napoleon,  in  recognition  of  their  gallantry. 

The  Minister  dined  with  the  King  at  Vendresse, 
where  we  once  more  put  up  for  the  night,  but  he  never- 
theless took  some  refreshment  with  us  afterwards.  He 
read  over  to  us  a  portion  of  a  letter  from  his  wife, 
energetically  expressing  in  biblical  terms  her  hope  that 
the  French  would  be  destroyed.  He  then  added  medi- 
tatively, "  Well,  in  1866 — seven  days.  This  time  possibly 
seven  times  seven.  Yes — when  did  we  cross  the 
frontier  ?  On  the  4th  ?  No,  on  the  10th  of  August.  Five 
weeks  ago.     Seven  times  seven — it  may  be  possible." 

I  again  send  off  a  couple  of  articles  to  Germany, 
amongst  them  being  one  on  the  results  of  the  battle  of 
the  1st  September. 

We  are  to  start  for  Reims  to-morrow,  our  first  halt 
to  be  at  Rethel. 


Sept.4,  i87o]       THE  TRAGEDY  AT  BAZEILLES  165 

Rethel,  September  4tth,  evening. — Early  this  morning 
before  we  left  Vendresse  I  was  called  to  the  Chief,  to 
receive  instructions  respecting  reports  for  the  news- 
papers of  his  meeting  with  Napoleon.  Towards  the 
close  he  practically  dictated  what  I  was  to  say.^  Shortly 
afterwards,  about  half-past  10,  the  carriages  arrived,  and 
we  began  our  journey  into  the  champagne  country. 
The  way  was  at  first  somewhat  hilly,  then  we  came  to 
a  softly  undulating  plain,  with  numerous  fruit  gardens, 
and  finally  to  a  poor  district  with  very  few  villages. 
We  passed  some  large  detachments  of  troops,  at  first 
Bavarians,  and  afterwards  the  6th  and  50th  Prussian 
regiments.  Amongst  the  latter  Willisch  saw  his  brother, 
who  had  been  in  battle,  and  had  escaped  unwounded. 
A  little  further  on  the  carriage  of  Prince  Charles  had  to 
be  left  behind  at  a  village,  as  the  axle  had  caught 
fire.  We  took  Count  Donhoff",  the  Prince's  master  of 
the  horse,  and  Major  von  Freyberg,  aide-de-camp  to 
Prince  Luitpold  of  Bavaria,  into  our  conveyance.  The 
tragedy  at  Bazeilles  was  mentioned,  and  the  major  gave 
an  account  of  the  circumstances,  which  difi*ered  consider- 
ably from  that  of  Count  Bohlen.  According  to  him 
twenty  peasants,  including  one  woman,  lost  their  lives, 
but  they  were  killed  in  fight  while  opposing  the  soldiers, 
who  stormed  the  place.  A  priest  was  afterwards  shot 
by  court  martial.  The  Major  however  does  not  appear 
to  have  been  a  witness  of  the  occurrences  which  he 
relates,  so  that  his  account  of  the  affair  may  also  prove 
to  be  inaccurate.  He  knew  nothing  of  the  hangings 
mentioned  by  Bohlen.  There  are  some  people  whose 
tongues  are  more  cruel  than  their  dispositions. 

We  arrived  at  Rethel  about  5.30  p.m.  The  quarter- 
master had  chosen  a  lodging  for  us  in  the  roomy  and  well- 

1  These  particulars  are  worked  up  into  the  preceding  chapter. 


i66    " METZAND  STRASSBURG  ARE  WHA  T  WE  REQUIRE " 

furnished  residence  of  one  M.  Duval,  in  the  Kue  Grand 
Pont.  The  entire  field  bureau  of  the  Foreign  Office  was 
quartered  in  this  house.  After  dinner  I  was  summoned 
three  times  to  receive  instructions  from  the  Chief. 
Amongst  other  things  he  said  :  "  Metz  and  Strassburg 
are  what  we  require  and  what  we  wish  to  take — that  is 
the  fortresses.  Alsace  is  a  professorial  idea."  He  evi- 
dently referred  to  the  strong  emphasis  laid  upon  the 
German  past  of  that  province  and  the  circumstance  that 
the  inhabitants  still  retained  the  use  of  the  German 
language. 

In  the  meantime  the  German  newspapers  were  de- 
livered.    It  was  highly  satisfactory  to  observe  that  the 
South  German  press  also  began  to  oppose  the  efforts  of 
foreign   diplomacy    which   desired    to   mediate   in   the 
negotiations  for   peace   between  ourselves  and  France. 
In  this  respect  the  Schwdhische  Merkur  was  perfectly 
in  accord  with  the  Chief's  views  in  saying  :  "  When  the 
German  peoples  marched  to  the  Rhine  in  order  to  defend 
their  native  land,  European  diplomacy    said   the  two 
antagonists  must  be  allowed   to    fight   out  their  own 
quarrel,  and  that  the  war  must  be  thus  localised.    Well, 
we  have  carried  on  that  war  alone  against  those  who 
threatened  all  Europe,  and  we  now  also  desire  to  locaHse 
the  conclusion  of  peace.     In  Paris  we  shall  ourselves 
dictate  the  conditions  which  must  protect  the  German 
people  from  a  renewal  of  such  predaceous  invasion  as 
the  war  of  1870,  and  the  diplomats  of  foreign  Powers 
who  looked  on  as  spectators  shall   not  be  allowed  to 
have  anything  to  say  in  the  matter.     Those  who  took 
no  part  in  the  fight  shall  have  no  voice  in  the  negotia- 
tions."    "  We  must  breed  other  articles  from  this  one," 
said  the  Chief,  and  it  did. 

Reims,  September  5th. — During  the  whole  forenoon 


Sept.  5,  1870]  IVE  ARRIVE  AT  REIMS  167 

great  masses  of  troops  marclied  along  a  road  not  far 
from  our  quarters  at  Rethel  Bridge.  The  procession 
was  closed  by  four  regiments  of  Prussian  infantry.  It 
was  very  noticeable  how  few  officers  there  were.  Several 
companies  were  under  the  command  of  young  lieutenants 
or  ensigns.  This  was  the  case  with  the  6th  and  46th, 
one  battalion  of  which  carried  a  captured  French  eagle. 
Although  the  day  was  stiflingly  hot,  and  the  men  were 
covered  with  the  white  dust  of  the  limestone  roads, 
they  marched  steadily  and  well.  Our  coachman  placed 
a  bucket  of  water  by  the  way,  so  that  they  could  fill 
their  tin  cans  and  glasses,  and  sometimes  their  helmets, 
as  they  passed. 

Between  12  and  1  o'clock  we  started  for  Reims  ;  the 
district  through  which  the  road  runs  is  in  great  part  an 
undulating  plain  with  few  villages. 

At  length  we  see  the  towers  of  the  Cathedral  of 
Reims  rising  over  the  glistening  plains,  and  beyond  the 
town  the  blue  heights  that  change  to  green  as  we 
approach  them,  and  show  white  villages  along  their 
sides.  We  drive  at  first  through  poor  outskirts  and 
then  through  better  streets,  and  across  a  square  with  a 
monument,  to  the  Rue  de  Cloitre,  where  we  take  up  our 
quarters,  opposite  the  Cathedral,  in  a  handsome  house, 
which  belongs  to  a  M.  Dauphinot.  The  Chief  lodged 
on  the  first  floor,  while  the  office  was  set  up  on  the 
ground  floor.  The  streets  are  crowded  with  Prussian 
and  Wiirtemberg  soldiers.  The  King  has  done  the 
Archbishop  the  honour  of  taking  up  his  quarters  in  his 
Palace.  I  hear  that  our  landlord  is  the  Maire  of  Reims. 
Keudell  understands  that  the  territory  to  be  retained  by 
us  at  the  close  of  the  war  will  prol^ably  not  be  incor- 
porated with  any  one  State  or  divided  between  several, 
but  will  become  the  collective  possession  of  all  Germany. 


DRASTIC  ORDERS  [Sept.  6,  1870 


In  the  evening  the  Chief  dined  with  us,  and  as  we 
are  here  in  the  centre  of  the  champagne  country  we  try 
several  brands.  In  the  course  of  conversation  the  Chief 
mentions  that  he  is  usually  bored  at  the  royal  table. 
"  When  there  are  but  few  guests  I  sit  near  the  King, 
and  then  it  is  tolerable.  But  when  there  are  a  great 
number  present  I  am  placed  between  the  Bavarian 
Prince  and  the  Grand  Duke  of  Weimar,  and  then  the 
conversation  is  inexpressibly  tedious."  Some  one  re- 
marked that  yesterday  a  shot  was  fired  out  of  a  caf^ 
at  a  squadron  of  our  hussars.  The  Minister  said  the 
house  must  be  immediately  destroyed,  and  the  pro- 
prietor tried  by  court  martial.  Stieber  should  be 
instructed  to  inquire  into  the  matter. 

I  understand  we  are  to  remain  here  for  ten  or  twelve 
days. 

Tuesday,  September  6th. — I  have  been  working 
hard  from  10  to  3  o'clock  without  interruption  in 
preparing,  amongst  other  things,  exhaustive,  and  also 
shorter,  articles  respecting  the  conditions  upon  which 
Germany  should  make  peace.  The  Chief  found  an 
article  that  appeared  in  the  Volkszeitung  of  the  31st 
of  August  "  very  sensible  and  well  worth  calling 
attention  to."  The  writer  argued  against  the  annexa- 
tion to  Prussia  of  the  conquered  French  territory ;  and 
after  endeavouring  to  show  that  such  a  course  would 
rather  weaken  than  strengthen  Prussia,  concluded  with 
the  words  :  "  Our  aim  ought  to  be,  not  the  aggrandise- 
ment of  Prussia,  but  the  unification  of  Germany,  and 
to  j)ut  it  out  of  the  power  of  France  to  harm  us." 
Bamberger  has  established  a  French  newspaper  at 
Nancy,  to  which  wc  are  to  send  reports  from  time  to 
time. 

At  dinner  Count  Bohlen  remarked,  as  he  counted 


Sept.  6, 1870]     THE  REPUBLIC  PROCLAIMED  IN  PARIS      169 

the  places,  "  I  hope  we  are  not  thirteen."  "  No."  "  That's 
right,  as  the  Minister  does  not  like  that  number." 
Bohlen,  who  seems  to  be  charged  with  the  supervision 
of  the  fleshpots,  has  to-day  evidently  inspired  the 
genius  of  our  chef-de-cuisine  to  one  of  his  greatest 
achievements.  The  dinner  is  magnificent.  Amongst 
the  guests  are  Von  Knobelsdorff,  a  captain  in  the 
Guards  ;  Count  York,  and  one  Count  Briihl,  a  some- 
what bashful  young  man,  in  the  uniform  of  a  lieutenant 
of  dragoons.  The  latter  brought  the  great  news  that  a 
Republic  had  been  proclaimed  in  Paris  and  a  Provisional 
Government  appointed,  in  which  Gambetta,  hitherto 
one  of  the  orators  of  the  Opposition,  and  Favre  have 
portfolios.  Rochefort,  the  editor  of  La  Lanterne,  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Cabinet.  It  is  said  that  they 
wish  to  continue  the  war  against  us.  The  position  has, 
therefore,  not  improved  in  so  far  as  peace  is  concerned ; 
but  it  is  also  by  no  means  worse,  especially  if  the 
Republic  lasts,  and  it  becomes,  later  on,  a  question  of 
gaining  friends  at  foreign  Courts.  For  the  present  it 
is  all  over  with  Napoleon  and  Lulu.  Like  Louis 
Philippe  in  1848,  the  Empress  has  fled.  We  shall  soon 
discover  what  the  lawyers  and  literary  men,  who  have 
now  taken  over  the  conduct  of  afi"airs,  can  do.  Whether 
France  will  recognise  their  authority  remains  to  be 
seen. 

Our  uhlans  are  now  at  Chateau  Thierry  ;  in  two 
days  they  may  reach  Paris.  It  is  now  certain,  however, 
that  we  shall  remain  another  week  at  Reims.  Count 
Bohlen  reported  to  the  Chief  the  result  of  his  inquiries 
respecting  the  cafe  from  which  our  cavalry  were  fired 
at.  Yielding  to  the  entreaties  of  the  proprietor,  who 
is  believed  to  be  innocent,  the  house  has  not  been 
destroyed.     Moreover,  the  treacherous  shot  failed  of  its 


1 70  UN-  UNIFORMED  CO  MB  A  TANTS      [Sept.  8, 1 870 

effect.  The  proprietor  has  been  let  off  with  a  fine  of 
two  hundred  or  two  hundred  and  fifty  bottles  of 
champagne,  to  be  presented  to  the  squadron  ;  and  this 
he  gladly  paid. 

At  tea  somebody  (I  now  forget  who  it  was)  referred 
to  the  exceptional  position  accorded  to  the  Saxons  in 
the  North  German  Confederation  as  regards  military 
arrangements.  The  Chancellor  did  not  consider  the 
matter  of  much  importance.  "  Moreover,  that  arrange- 
ment was  not  made  on  my  initiative,"  he  observed  ; 
"  Savigny  concluded  the  treaty,  as  I  was  seriously  ill  at 
the  time.  I  am  disposed  to  regard  even  less  narrowly 
the  arrangements  respecting  the  foreign  relations  of  the 
smaller  States.  Many  people  lay  too  much  stress  on 
this  point,  and  apprehend  danger  from  the  retention  of 
their  diplomatic  representatives  besides  those  of  the 
Confederation.  If  such  States  were  in  other  respects 
powerful,  they  could,  even  without  official  representa- 
tives, exchange  letters  with  foreign  Courts  and  intrigue 
by  word  of  mouth  against  our  policy.  That  could  be 
managed  by  a  dentist  or  any  other  personage  of  that 
description.  Moreover,  the  Diets  will  soon  refuse  to 
grant  the  sums  required  for  all  such  luxuries." 

Thursday,  Se2ytembGr  Sth. — The  Chancellor  gives  a 
great  dinner,  the  guests  including  the  Hereditary  Grand 
Duke  of  Mecklenburg- Sell werin,  Herr  Stephan  the 
Chief  Director  of  the  Post  Office,  and  the  three 
Americans.  Amongst  other  matters  mentioned  at 
table  were  the  various  reports  as  to  the  affair  at 
Bazeilles.  The  Minister  said  that  peasants  could  not 
be,  permitted  to  take  part  in  the  defence  of  a  position. 
Not  being  in  uniform  they  could  not  be  recognised  as 
combatants — they  were  able  to  throw  away  their  arms 
unnoticed.     The  chances  must  be  equal  for  both  sides. 


Sept.  lo,  1870]  THE  FRENCH  MUST  BE  MADE  TO  SUFFER  171 

Abeken  considered  that  Bazeilles  was  hardly  treated, 
and  thought  the  war  ought  to  be  conducted  in  a  more 
humane  manner.  Sheridan,  to  whom  MacLean  has 
translated  these  remarks,  is  of  a  different  opinion.  He 
considers  that  in  war  it  is  expedient,  even  from  the 
political  point  of  view,  to  treat  the  population  with  the 
utmost  rigour  also.  He  expressed  himself  roughly  as 
follows  :  "  The  proper  strategy  consists  in  the  first 
place  in  inflicting  as  telling  blows  as  possible  upon  the 
enemy's  army,  and  then  in  causing  the  inhabitants  so 
much  suflfering  that  they  must  long  for  peace,  and  force 
their  Government  to  demand  it.  The  people  must  be 
left  nothing  but  their  eyes  to  weep  with  over  the  war." 
Somewhat  heartless  it  seems  to  me,  but  perhaps  worthy 
of  consideration. 

Friday,  September  9th. — Engaged  all  the  forenoon 
and  until  3  o'clock  in  writing  various  articles,  amongst 
others  one  on  the  inconceivable  attachment  of  the 
Alsacians  to  France,  their  voluntary  helotry,  and  the 
blindness  which  will  not  permit  them  to  see  and  feel 
that  the  Gauls  only  regard  them  as  a  kind  of  second- 
rate  Frenchmen,  and  in  many  respects  treat  them  ac- 
cordingly. News  has  arrived  that  Paris  is  not  to  be 
defended  against  us  nor  regarded  as  a  fortress.  This  is 
very  questionable,  as,  according  to  other  reports,  the 
French  have  still  some  regular  troops  at  their  disposal, 
although  not  many. 

Saturday,  September  10th. — The  Chief  dined  with 
the  King  to-day,  but  also  joined  us  at  table  for  half-an- 
hour.  Bohlen,  who  had  visited  the  Imperial  chateau 
at  Mourmelon,  near  Chalons,  told  us  how  the  people 
had  wrecked  the  whole  place,  breaking  the  furniture, 
mirrors,  &c.  After  dinner  the  Chancellor  had  a  long 
talk  alone  with  Boyen  and  Delbriick,  who  were  amongst 


172  THE  REPUBLIC  NOT  RECOGNISED    [Sept.  lo,  1870 

the  guests.  I  was  afterwards  summoned  to  the 
Minister  to  receive  instructions  respecting  a  commu- 
nique to  the  two  French  newspapers  published  here, 
namely  the  Courier  de  la  Champagne  and  the  In- 
dependant  Remois.  It  was  to  the  following  effect : 
"  If  the  Reims  press  were  to  declare  itself  in  favour  of 
the  proclamation  of  a  French  Republic,  and  recognise 
the  new  Government  by  publishing  its  decrees,  it 
might  be  inferred  that  as  the  town  is  occupied  by 
German  troops  the  organs  in  question  were  acting  in 
harmony  with  the  views  of  the  German  Government. 
This  is  not  the  case.  The  German  Government 
respects  the  liberty  of  the  press  here  as  at  home.  It 
has  however  up  to  the  present  recognised  no  Govern- 
ment in  France  except  that  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon- 
Therefore  until  further  notice  it  can  only  recognise  the 
Imperial  Government  as  authorised  to  enter  upon 
international  negotiations." 

I  give  the  following  from  my  diary  merely  to  show 
the  genuine  kindness  and  simple  good-heartedness  of  our 
Chief.  After  giving  me  my  instructions  he  remarked 
that  I  had  not  been  looking  well ;  and  when  I  told  him  I 
had  been  rather  unwell  for  the  last  few  days,  he  inquired 
minutely  into  the  details,  and  asked  me  whether  I  had 
consulted  any  doctor.  I  said  I  had  not  much  faith  in 
physicians. 

"  WeU,"  he  replied,  "  they  certainly  are  not  of  much 
use  as  a  rule,  and  often  only  make  us  worse.  But  this 
is  no  laughing  matter.  Send  to  Lauer — he  is  really  a 
good  man.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  much  my  health 
owes  to  him  during  this  campaign.  Go  to  bed  for  a 
couple  of  days  and  you  will  be  all  right  again.  Other- 
wise you  will  have  a  relapse  and  may  not  be  able  to  stir 
for  three  weeks.      I  often  suffer  in  the  same  way,  and 


Sept.  II,  1870]  THE  RED  SPECTRE  173 

then  I  take  thirty  to  thirty-five  drops  from  that  little 
bottle  on  the  chimney-piece.  Take  it  with  you,  but 
bring  it  back  again.  And  when  I  send  for  you  tell 
me  if  you  are  not  able  to  come  and  I  will  go  to  you. 
You  can  perhaps  write  in   bed." 

Sunday,  Septemher  11th. — The  Chiefs  bottle  has 
had  an  excellent  efi'ect.  I  was  again  able  to  rise  early 
and  work  with  ease.  The  contents  of  the  com7nu7iique 
were  forwarded  to  the  newspaper  at  Nancy  as  well  as 
to  the  German  press.  It  was  pointed  out,  in  correction 
of  the  remarks  of  the  Kieler  Zeitung  and  the  Berlin 
Volkszeitung,  that  Prussia  did  not  conclude  the  Peace  of 
Prague  with  France,  but  with  Austria,  and  that,  con- 
sequently, the  French  have  as  little  to  do  with  paragraph 
5  as  with  any  other  paragraph  of  that  treaty. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  one  M.  Werle  called  upon 
the  Chief.  He  was  a  tall,  haggard  man,  with  the  red 
ribbon  in  his  button-hole  which  appears  to  be  indis- 
pensable to  every  well-dressed  Frenchman.  He  is 
understood  to  be  a  member  of  the  Legislative  Chamber, 
and  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Veuve  CHcquot.  He  wished 
to  speak  to  the  Chief  as  to  measures  for  mitigating  the 
distress  which  prevailed  in  the  town,  and  for  providing 
against  popular  riots.  It  was  feared  that  the  working 
classes  here,  being  in  a  state  of  ferment,  would  declare 
in  favour  of  a  Red  Republic.  As  Reims  was  an  indus- 
trial centre,  with  ten  or  twelve  thousand  ouvriers  within 
its  walls,  there  might  be  general  ground  for  apprehension 
on  the  withdrawal  of  our  troops.  That  also  was  a  thing 
one  could  have  hardly  dreamed  of  a  month  ago — 
German  soldiers  protecting  the  French  from  Communism ! 

After  dinner  I  was  summoned  several  times  to  the 
Chief  to  receive  instructions.  In  Belgium  and  Luxem- 
burg   our   wounded    were    received   in   an   unfriendly 


174  FAVRE  ''DOES  NOT  EXIST  FOR  US"    [Sept.  ii,  1870 

manner,  and  it  is  suspected,  probably  not  without  reason, 
tliat  ultramontane  influence  is  at  the  bottom  of  this 
conduct.  Favre,  "  who  does  not  exist  for  us,"  as  the 
Chief  declared  to-day,  has  asked,  indirectly  through 
London,  whether  we  are  disposed  to  grant  an  armistice 
and  to  enter  into  negotiations.  Favre  seems  to  consider 
this  question  as  very  pressing.  The  Chancellor,  however, 
does  not. 

When  Bolsing  brought  in  the  despatch  from  Berns- 
torff,  stating  that  Lord  Granville  requested  an  early 
reply  from  the  Chancellor  of  the  Confederation  to  Favre's 
inquiry,  the  Minister  simply  remarked,  "  There  is  no 
hurry  to  answer  this  rubbish." 

After  10  P.M.  the  Chief  joined  us  at  tea. 

The  conversation  ultimately  turned  on  the  politics 
of  recent  years.  The  Chancellor  said :  "  What  I  am 
proudest  of,  however,  is  our  success  in  the  Schleswig- 
Holstein  affair,  in  which  the  diplomatic  intrigues  would 
furnish  matter  for  a  play.  In  the  first  place,  Austria 
could  not  well  have  sided  with  the  Augustenburger  in 
presence  of  her  previous  attitude  as  recorded  in  the 
proceedings  of  the  Germanic  Diet,  for  which  she  was 
bound  to  show  some  regard.  Then  she  wanted  to  find 
some  tolerable  way  out  of  the  embarrassment  in  which 
she  had  involved  herself  with  the  Congress  of  Princes 
at  Frankfort.  Immediately  after  the  death  of  the  King 
of  Denmark  I  explained  what  I  wanted  in  a  long  speech 
at  a  sitting  of  the  Council  of  State.  The  official  who 
drew  up  the  minutes  of  the  sitting  omitted  the  most 
important  part  of  my  speech ;  he  must  have  thought 
that  I  had  lunched  too  well,  and  would  be  glad  i^  he 
left  it  out.  But  I  took  care  that  it  was  again  inserted. 
It  was  difficult,  however,  to  carry  my  idea  into  execution. 
Everything  was  against  it — Austria,   the  English,  the 


Sept.  II,  1870]        BISMARCK  AND  WILLIAM  I.  175 

small  States — both  Liberal  and  anti-Liberal,  tbe  Oppo- 
sition in  the  Diet,  influential  personages  at  Court,  and 
the  majority  of  the  Press. 

"  Yes,  at  that  time  there  was  some  hard  fighting, 
the  hardest  being  with  the  Court,   and  it  demanded 
stronger  nerves  than  mine.     It  was  about  the  same  at 
Baden-Baden  before  the  Congress  at  Frankfort,  when 
the  King  of  Saxony  was  in   Baden,   and  wanted  our 
King  to  go  to  that  Assembly.     It  was  literally  in  the 
sweat  of  my  brow  that  I  prevented  him  from  doing  so." 
I  asked  the  Chief,  after  some  further  remarks,  if  the 
King  had  really  wished  to  join  the  other  Princes.     "  He 
certainly  did,"  replied  the  Minister,  "and  I  only  suc- 
ceeded with  the  utmost  difficulty  in   preventing  him, 
literally  hanging  on  to  his  coat-tails."     The  Chief  then 
continued  to  the  following  eflfect :  "  His  Majesty  said  he 
could  not  well  do  otherwise  when  a  King  had  come  to 
him  as  a  courier  to  bring  the  invitation.    All  the  women 
were  in  favour  of  his  going,  the  Dowager  Queen,  the 
reigning  Queen,  and  the  Grand  Duchess  of  Baden.     I 
declared  to  the  Dowager  that  I  would  not  remain  Minis- 
ter nor  return  to  Berlin  if  the  King  allowed  himself  to 
be  persuaded.     She  said  she  was  very  sorry,  but  if  I 
seriously  meant  that,  she  must  surrender  her  own  view 
and  use  her  influence  with  the  King  in  the  other  direc- 
tion, although  it  was  greatly  opposed  to  her  own  con- 
victions.     The  afi'air  was,    however,   still   made  quite 
disagreeable  enough  for  me.     After  the  King  of  Saxony 
and  Beust  had  been  with  him,  his  Majesty  lay  on  the 
sofa  and  had  an  attack  of  hysterical  weeping  ;  and  when 
at  length  I  had  succeeded  in  wringing  from  him  the 
letter  of  refusal,  I  was  myself  so  weak  and  exhausted 
that  I  could  scarcely  stand.     Indeed,  I  actually  reeled 
as  I  left  the  room,  and  was  so  nervous  and  unhinged 


176  BELGIAN  ANIMOSITY  [Sept.  12,  1870 

that  in  closing  the  outer  door  I  tore  off  the  handle. 
The  aide-de-camp  asked  me  if  I  was  unwell.  I  said, 
'  No,  I  am  all  right  again  now.^  I  told  Beust,  however, 
that  I  would  have  the  regiment  stationed  at  Rastatt 
brought  over  to  guard  the  house,  and  to  prevent  any- 
body else  having  access  to  the  King  in  order  to  put 
fresh  pressure  upon  him."  Keudell  also  mentioned  that 
the  Minister  had  intended  to  get  Beust  arrested.  It 
was  getting  late  when  the  Chief  had  finished  his  narra- 
tive  of  those  events,  so  he  retired,  saying  :  "  Yes,  gentle- 
men, a  delicate  nervous  system  has  to  endure  a  good 
deal.     I  shall  therefore  be  off  to  bed.     Good  night." 

Monday,  September  12th. — Engaged  writing  various 
paragraphs  till  noon. 

According  to  some  of  the  German  papers  the  Chief 
had  declared  that  in  the  battle  of  Sedan,  Prussia's  allies 
fought  best.  What  he  said,  however,  was  only  that 
they  co-operated  in  the  best  possible  way.  "The 
Belgians,"  said  the  Minister,  "  display  such  hatred 
towards  us  and  such  warm  attachment  for  the  French, 
that  perhaps  after  all  something  might  be  done  to 
satisfy  them.  It  might  at  any  rate  be  well  to  suggest 
that  arrangements  even  with  the  present  French 
Government  are  not  entirely  out  of  the  question,  which 
would  gratify  Belgian  yearnings  towards  France.  Call 
attention,"  added  the  Chief,  "  to  the  fact  that  the 
present  animosity  in  Belgium  is  due  chiefly  to  ultra- 
montane agitation." 

The  Bavarian  Count  Luxburg,  who  is  staying  with 
Kiihlwetter,  has  distinguished  himself  by  his  talent  and 
zeal.  In  future  he  is  to  take  part  in  the  consideration 
of  all  important  questions. 

A  report  has  been  received  to  the  effect  that  America 
has  offered  her  services  as  a  mediator  between  ourselves 


Sept.  12, 1870]    METZ  AND  STRASSBURG  NECESSARY       177 

and  tlie  new  French  Republic.  This  mediation  will  not 
be  declined,  and  as  a  matter  of  fact  would  be  preferred 
to  that  of  any  other  State.  It  may  be  assumed  that  the 
authorities  at  Washington  are  not  disposed  to  interfere 
with  our  necessary  military  operations,  which  would 
however  probably  be  the  consequence  of  such  mediation. 
The  Chief  appears  to  have  been  for  a  considerable  time 
past  well  disposed  towards  the  Americans,  and  not  long 
ago  it  was  understood  that  he  hoped  to  secure  permission 
to  fit  out  ships  in  the  American  harbours  against  the 
French  navy.  Doubtless  there  is  no  longer  any  proba- 
bility of  this  being  done. 

To  conclude  from  a  communication  which  he  has 
forwarded  to  Carlsruhe,  the  Minister  regards  the  general 
situation  as  follows : — "  Peace  seems  to  be  still  very 
remote,  as  the  G-overnment  in  Paris  does  not  promise  to 
be  permanent.  When  the  proper  moment  for  negotia- 
tions has  arrived,  the  King  will  summon  his  allies  to 
consider  our  demands.  Our  principal  object  is  and 
remains  to  secure  the  South- Western  German  frontier 
against  the  danger  of  a  French  invasion,  to  which  it  has 
now  been  subjected  for  centuries.  A  neutral  buffer 
State  like  Belgium  or  Switzerland  would  not  serve  our 
purpose,  as  it  would  unquestionably  join  France  in  case 
of  a  fresh  outbreak  of  war.  Metz  and  Strassburg,  with 
an  adequate  portion  of  surrounding  territory,  must  belong 
to  all  Germany,  to  serve  as  a  protective  barrier  against 
the  French.  The  partition  of  this  territory  between 
single  States  is  inexpedient.  The  fact  that  this  war  has 
been  waged  in  common  cannot  fail  to  have  exercised  a 
healthy  influence  in  other  respects  on  the  cause  of 
German  unity  ;  but  nevertheless  Prussia  will,  as  a  matter 
of  course,  after  the  war  as  before  it,  respect  the  views  of 
the  South,  and  avoid  even  the  suspicion  of  any  kind  of 

VOL.    I  N 


178  TJ7EGERM0Fr//ET>RElKMS'ERBUNDNlSS  [Sept.12,1870 

pressure.  In  this  matter  a  great  deal  will  depend  upon 
the  personal  disposition  and  determination  of  the  King 
of  Bavaria." 

Before  dinner  to-day  Prince  Luitpokl  of  Bavaria  had 
a  long  interview  with  the  Chief.  In  the  evening  at  tea 
the  Minister,  referring  to  this  interview,  said :  "  The 
Prince  is  certainly  a  good  fellow,  but  I  rather  doubt 
whether  he  understood  the  historical  and  political  state- 
ments which  I  made  to  him  to-day." 

I  have  reason  to  believe  that  this  interview  was  the 
beginning  of  negotiations  (which  were  several  times 
interrupted)  between  the  Chancellor  of  the  Confedera- 
tion and  the  Emperors  of  Austria  and  Russia,  which 
gradually  led  to  an  understanding  and  finally  resulted 
in  the  so-called  Drei  Kaiser  Biindniss,  or  Three 
Emperors'  Alliance.  The  object  of  these  "historical 
and  political  statements  "  was  to  induce  Prince  Luitpold 
to  write  a  letter  to  his  brother-in-law,  the  Archduke 
Albrecht,  submitting  certain  views  to  the  personal  con- 
sideration of  the  Emperor  Francis  Joseph.  This  was 
one  of  the  few  ways  in  which  it  appeared  possible  for 
those  considerations  to  reach  the  Emperor's  own  ear  in 
an  ungarbled  form.  They  were  as  follows  :  The  turn 
which  events  have  taken  in  Paris  renders  it  possible  to 
reo-ard  the  present  war  between  Germany  and  France  as 
a  defence  of  monarchical  conservative  principles  against 
the  republican  and  socialistic  tenets  adopted  by  the 
present  holders  of  power  in  France.  The  proclamation 
of  the  Republic  in  Paris  has  been  welcomed  with  warm 
approval  in  Spain,  and  it  is  to  be  expected  that  it  will 
obtain  a  like  reception  in  Italy.  In  that  circumstance 
lies  the  oreat  danger  for  those  European  States  that  are 
governed  on  a  monarchical  system.  The  best  security 
for   the   cause    of  order   and   civilisation   against   this 


Sept.  12,1 870]    AN  ANTI-RE  VOL  UTIONAR  Y  LEA  CUE  1 79 

solidarity  of  the  revolutionary  and  republican  elements 
would  be  a  closer  union  of  those  countries  which,  like 
Germany,  Eussia,  and  Austria,  still  afford  a  firm  support 
to  the  monarchical  principle.  Austria,  however,  can 
only  be  included  in  such  an  understanding  when  it  is 
recognised  in  that  country  that  the  attempts  hitherto 
made  in  the  Cisleithan  half  of  the  monarchy  to  intro- 
duce a  liberal  system  are  based  on  a  mistaken  policy, 
as  are  also  the  national  experiments  in  a  Polish 
direction.  The  appointment  of  Klaczko,  a  Polish 
literary  man,  to  a  position  in  which  he  is  in  close 
relations  with  Beust,  the  Chancellor  of  the  Empire, 
whose  policy  and  tendency  are  well  known,  together 
with  the  latest  declarations  of  Klaczko,  must  be  re- 
garded as  indications  of  Beust's  own  views  and 
intentions.  This  co-operation  with  the  Polish 
revolutionists,  together  with  the  hostility  to  Russia 
which  is  manifested  thereby,  is  for  the  Chancellor  of 
the  German  Confederation  a  serious  hindrance  to  good 
relations  with  Austria,  and  must  at  the  same  time  be 
regarded  as  an  indication  of  hostility  to  ourselves.  In 
connection  with  the  above  the  position  of  the  Cisleithan 
half  of  the  dual  State  must  be  taken  into  consideration, 
and  the  difficulties  which  it  presents  cannot  be  over- 
come except  by  a  conservative  reginie.  It  is  only 
through  the  frank  adoption  of  relations  of  mutual 
confidence  towards  united  Germany  and  Eussia  that 
Austria  can  find  the  support  which  she  requires  against 
revolutionary  and  centrifugal  forces,  a  support  which 
she  has  lost  through  the  disastrous  policy  of  Count 
Beust. 

Prince  Luitpold's  letter  giving  expression  to  these 
views  failed  to  produce  the  desired  result.  It  is  true 
the  Archduke  Albrecht  submitted  it  to  the  Emperor, 

N  2 


i8o  THE  ATTITUDE  OF  THE  TSAR       [Sept.  12,  1870 

but  he  showed  it  at  the  same  time  to  Beust.  His 
answer,  which  was  inspired  by  Beust,  was  in  the  main 
to  the  effect  that  Austria,  so  long  as  no  special  political 
advantages  were  offered  by  us,  did  not  feel  any  need  of 
support.  If  Prussia,  as  it  would  appear,  regarded  a 
rapprochement  with  Austria  as  desirable  or  requisite, 
nothing  had  been  heard  so  far  as  to  what  she  had 
to  offer  in  return  to  the  dual  monarchy,  whose  in- 
terests were  complex.  The  Emperor  would  gladly 
consider  any  suggestions  that  reached  him  in  a 
direct  way. 

The  Tsar  Alexander  was  informed  of  the  attempt 
made  in  Vienna  through  the  Bavarian  Prince,  his 
attention  beino;  at  the  same  time  called  to  the  notorious 
understanding  which  existed  between  the  present 
Government  in  Paris  and  the  revolutionary  pro- 
pagandists throughout  Europe.  The  desirability  of  a 
close  co-operation  of  the  Eastern  Powers  against  this 
movement  was  urged  upon  him  on  the  one  hand,  while 
on  the  other  the  necessity  was  pointed  out  for  Germany 
to  avoid,  when  concluding  peace,  anything  which  might 
look  like  disregard  for  the  real  requirements  of  the 
country  in  the  matter  of  frontier  protection  and 
security,  and  thus  give  the  German  revolutionary  party 
an  opportunity  of  poisoning  the  public  mind.  The 
Tsar  declared  himself  in  perfect  agreement  with  these 
views,  and  expressed  a  strong  desire  for  the  realisation 
of  the  proposed  union  of  the  monarchical  elements 
against  the  revolutionary  movement. 

Subsequently,  after  the  insurrection  of  the  Com- 
munists in  Paris,  the  progress  of  the  International,  upon 
which  considerable  stress  was  also  laid  in  the  Press,  was 
used  as  a  further  argument  for  the  combination  of  the 
conservative     Powers     against     the     republican     and 


Sept.  14,  i87o]      GENERAL  VON  BLUMENTHAL  i8i 

socialistic  propaganda.  This  time  the  rej)resentations 
in  question  met  with  more  success  in  Vienna. 

Tuesday,  September  ISth. — In  the  course  of  the 
forenoon  I  was  called  in  to  the  Chancellor  six  times,  and 
wrote  as  many  paragraphs  for  the  press.  Amongst 
them  were  two  for  the  local  French  papers,  which  also 
received  some  information  from  us  yesterday.  Arrange- 
ments were  made  to  secure  the  insertion  of  the  portrait 
and  biography  of  General  von  Blumenthal  in  the 
illustrated  papers  with  which  we  entertain  friendly 
relations,  a  distinction  which  he  has  well  deserved, 
"  So  far  as  one  can  see,"  said  the  Chief,  "  the  papers 
make  no  mention  of  him,  although  he  is  chief  of  the 
staff  to  the  Crown  Prince,  and,  next  after  Moltke, 
deserves  most  credit  for  the  conduct  of  the  war. 

"  I  should  like  a  grant  to  be  made  to  him.  He  won 
the  battles  of  Weissenburg  and  Worth,  and  afterwards 
those  of  Beaumont  and  Sedan,  as  the  Crown  Prince  was 
not  always  interfering  with  his  plans,  as  Prince  Frederick 
Charles  did  in  1866.  The  latter  fancied  that  he  under- 
stood a  great  deal  about  these  matters." 

In  the  evening  the  Count  sent  for  me  once  more. 
It  was  merely  to  show  me  a  telegram,  which  he  handed 
to  me  with  a  smile.  It  was  a  message  from  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Weimar  to  the  Grand  Duchess,  couched  in  the 
style  of  the  King's  despatches  to  the  Queen,  in  which 
the  Duke  reported,  "  My  army  has  fought  very  bravely." 
Greatness,  like  murder,  will  out.  But  still  there  are 
cases  in  which  imitation  had  better  be  avoided. 

On  the  14th  of  September,  shortly  before  10  o'clock, 
we  started  for  Chateau  Thierry,  and  reached  Meaux  on 
the  next  day. 

Before  dinner  we  heard  that  a  parlementaire  has 
arrived  from  Paris,  a  slight  dark-haired  young  gentle- 


i82   MR.  {AFTERWARDS  SIR)  EDWARD  MALET  [Sept.14,1870 

man,  who  is  now  standing  in  the  courtyard  before  the 
Chief's  house.  From  his  language  he  would  appear  to 
be  an  Englishman.  In  the  evening  he  has  a  long  con- 
versation with  the  Chief  over  a  bottle  of  kirschwasser, 
and  turns  out  to  be  Mr.  Edward  Malet,  an  attache  of 
the  British  Embassy  in  Paris.  As  I  had  to  pass  through 
the  ante-chamber  I  noticed  the  attendant,  Engel,  with 
his  ear  to  the  keyhole,  curious  to  know  what  they  were 
talking  about.  He  had  brought  a  letter  from  Lord 
Lyons  asking  whether  the  Count  would  enter  into 
negotiations  with  Favre  as  to  the  conditions  of  an 
armistice.  The  Chancellor  is  understood  to  have  re- 
plied :  "  As  to  conditions  of  peace,  yes  ;  but  not  for  an 
armistice. "  ^ 

I  see  from  the  letters  of  some  Berlin  friends  that 
many  well-meaning  and  patriotic  persons  cannot  bring 
themselves  to  accept  the  idea  that  the  conquered  terri- 
tory is  not  to  be  annexed  to  Prussia,  According  to  a 
communication  from  Heinrich  von  Treitschke,  of  Frei- 
burg, it  is  feared  that  Alsace  and  Lorraine  may  be 
handed  over  to  Bavaria,  and  that  a  new  dual  system 
may  thus  arise.  In  a  letter  to  the  Chief  he  says  :  "  It 
is  obvious  that  Prussia  alone  is  capable  of  once  more 
Germanising  the  Teutonic  provinces  of  France."  He 
refers  to  a  "  circumstance  to  which  too  little  attention 
is  paid  in  the  North — namely,  that  all  sensible  men  in 
South  Germany  desire  to  see  Alsace  handed  over  to 
Prussia  ; "  and  declares  that  "it  is  a  great  mistake  if  it 
is  thought  in  the  North  that  the  South  must  be  rewarded 
by  an  increase  of  territory  and  population."  I  cannot 
imagine  where  Treitschke  can  have  heard  such  erroneous 
views.     So  far  as  I  am  aware  they  are  held  by  none  of 

^  In  presence  of  later  events  he  can  hardly  have  expressed  himself  in 
this  way. 


Sept.  15,  i87o]     ALSACE-LORRAINE  A   REICHSLAND  183 

our  people.  I  fancy  it  is  thouglit  here  tliat  the  South 
will  be  sufficiently  rewarded  in  being  at  length  secured 
against  French  lust  of  conquest.  Other  ideas  of  the 
writer  can  only  be  regarded  as  sound  in  certain  circum- 
stances. Our  Chiefs  plan,  to  which  I  have  previously 
referred,  is  unquestionably  more  just  and  better  adapted 
to  the  existing  situation — namely,  to  make  those  pro- 
vinces the  common  property  of  all  Germany.  By  taking 
that  course  the  conquered  territory  would  not  become 
an  object  of  envy  and  a  cause  of  dissatisfaction  to 
Prussia's  allies ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  would  serve  as  a 
bond  of  union  between  North  and  South. 

I  hear  from  Willisch  that  certain  apprehensions  are 
entertained  in  Berlin,  which  are  understood  to  originate 
in  the  entourage  of  the  Queen.  Owing  to  the  anxiety 
occasioned  by  the  blowing-up  of  the  citadel  at  Laon, 
objections  are  raised  to  the  King  entering  Paris,  where, 
it  is  apprehended,  something  might  happen  to  him. 
Wrangel  has  telegraphed  in  this  sense  to  the  King,  and 
it  is  stated  that  as  a  matter  of  fact  his  Majesty  is 
now  no  longer  inclined  to  go  to  Paris,  and  is  disposed 
to  await  the  further  development  of  affairs  at  Roths- 
child's place  in  Ferrieres,  which  lies  about  half-way 
between  Meaux  and  Paris. 

Prince  Hohenlohe  dines  at  our  table,  where  the 
Chief  also  joins  us  after  returning  from  dinner  with  the 
King.  We  learn  that  Reims  will  be  the  administrative 
centre  of  the  French  provinces  occupied  by  our  troops, 
with  the  exception  of  Alsace  and  Lorraine.  The  Grand 
Duke  of  Mecklenburg  is  Governor-General,  and  will  be 
at  the  head  of  the  administration,  and  Hohenlohe  will 
take  a  position  under  him. 

The  Chief  remarked  to  his  cousin,  who  complained 
of  not  feeling  well :    "  At  your  age  "  (Bohlen  is  now 


1 84  THE  FRENCH  "^  MERE  HERD''    [Sept.  15, 1870 

thirty- eight)  "  I  was  still  as  sound  as  a  bell,  and  could 
take  all  sorts  of  liberties  with  myself.  It  was  at  St. 
Petersburgh  that  my  health  first  sjDrang  a  leak," 

Somebody  turned  the  conversation  on  Paris  and  the 
subject  of  the  French  and  the  Alsacians.  The  Chief 
gave  his  views  on  this  matter  very  fully,  addressing  his 
remarks  to  me  at  the  close,  which  I  took  to  be  a 
permission,  or  a  hint,  that  I  should  either  get  his  words 
or  their  purport  into  the  newspapers.  The  Alsacians 
and  the  Germans  of  Lorraine,  he  declared,  supply  France 
with  numbers  of  capable  men,  especially  for  the  army, 
but  they  are  not  held  of  much  account  by  the  French, 
and  seldom  attain  to  high  positions  in  the  service  of  the 
State,  while  they  are  laughed  at  by  the  Parisians,  who 
make  caricatures  and  stories  out  of  them,  just  as  the 
Irish  are  laughed  at  in  London.  "  Other  French 
provincials  are  treated  in  the  same  way,"  added  the 
Minister,  "  if  not  quite  so  badly.  To  a  certain  extent, 
France  is  divided  into  two  nations,  the  Parisians  and 
the  Provincials,  and  the  latter  are  the  voluntary  helots 
of  the  former.  The  object  to  be  aimed  at  now  is  the 
emancipation,  the  liberation  of  France  from  Parisian 
rule.  When  a  provincial  feels  that  he  is  capable  of 
making  a  future  for  himself  he  comes  to  Paris,  and  is 
there  adopted  into,  and  becomes  one  of,  the  ruling 
caste.  It  is  a  question  whether  we  should  not  oblige 
them  to  take  back  the  Emperor  as  a  punishment.  That 
is  still  possible,  as  the  peasants  do  not  wish  to  be 
tyrannised  from  Paris.  France  is  a  nation  of  ciphers — 
a  mere  herd.  The  French  are  wealthy  and  elegant, 
but  they  have  no  individuality,  no  consciousness  as 
individuals,  but  only  as  a  mass.  They  are  like  thirty 
million  obedient  Kaffirs,  each  one  of  whom  is  in  himself 
featureless  and  worthless,  not  fit  to  be  compared  with 


Sept.  15,1870]    RUSSIA  AND  THE  TREATY  OF  PARIS         185 

Kussians  and  Italians,  to  say  nothing  of  ourselves.  It 
was  an  easy  task  to  recruit  out  of  this  impersonal, 
invertebrate  mass  a  phalanx  ready  to  oppress  the 
remainder  of  the  country  so  long  as  it  was  not  united." 

After  dinner  wrote  several  paragraphs  in  accordance 
with  the  Chief's  instructions  and  explanations.  The 
subjects  were :  The  German  friends  of  the  Republic — 
men  like  Jacobi,  the  Socialistic  Democrats,  and  others 
holdino;  similar  views — will  not  hear  of  the  annexation 
of  French  territory,  being  in  the  first  place  Republicans, 
and  only  in  a  secondary  sense,  to  a  certain  extent, 
German.  The  security  afiforded  to  Germany  by  the 
seizure  of  Strassburg  and  Metz  is  detestable  to  them,  as 
it  is  a  bulwark  against  the  Republic  which  they  want 
to  see  established,  weakening  their  propaganda,  and 
injuring  their  prospects  on  our  side  of  the  Rhine.  They 
place  their  party  higher  than  their  country.  They 
welcomed  the  opposition  to  Napoleon,  because  he  was 
an  opponent  of  their  doctrines,  but  since  he  has  been 
replaced  by  the  Republic  they  have  become  Frenchmen 
in  sentiment  and  disposition.  Russia  has  expressed  a 
desire  for  a  revision  of  the  treaty  entered  into  as  the 
result  of  her  defeat  in  the  Crimean  war.  The  alterations 
proposed  in  certain  points  of  that  instrument  must  be 
regarded  as  just.  The  Peace  of  Paris  includes  conditions 
respecting  the  Black  Sea  which  are  unfair,  in  view  of 
the  fact  that  a  great  part  of  the  coast  belongs  to  Russia. 
This  must,  however,  be  cautiously  expressed. 

The  conjecture  that  the  Crown  Prince  is  of  opinion 
that  the  Bavarians  and  Suabians,  if  they  are  not  dis- 
posed willingly  to  form  part  of  united  Germany,  must 
be  compelled  to  do  so,  is  correct.  He  is  inclined  to 
act  on  the  maxim,  Der  Bien  muss.  I  hear  that  at 
Donchery,  or  near  that  town,  he  had  a  long  conversation 


186  NO  SENTIMENT  IN  POLITICS      [Sept.  17,1870 

on  the  subject  with  the  Chancellor,  who  declared  himself 
strongly  against  this  idea. 

Saturday,  September  17th. — I  did  a  good  deal  of 
work  this  morning  and  afternoon  from  instructions 
received  yesterday.  Amongst  other  things,  I  embodied 
in  an  article  the  following  ideas,  which  are  very  charac- 
teristic of  the  Chancellor's  manner  of  thinkino; : — 

"  The  morning  edition  of  the  National  Zeitung  of 
September  11  th  contains  a  paragraph  entitled  '  From 
Wilhelmshohe,'  in  which  the  writer,  after  lamenting 
the  considerate  treatment  of  the  Prisoner  of  Sedan, 
falls  into  further  errors.  Nemesis  should  have  shown 
no  indulgence  towards  the  man  of  December  2nd,  the 
author  of  the  laws  of  public  safety,  the  prime  mover  in 
the  Mexican  tragedy,  and  the  instigator  of  the  present 
terrible  war.  The  victor  has  been  'far  too  chivalrous.' 
That  is  the  way  in  which  the  matter  is  regarded  by 
'  public  opinion,'  as  endorsed  apparently  by  the  writer. 
We  do  not  in  any  way  share  those  views.  Public 
opinion  is  only  too  much  disposed  to  treat  political 
relations  and  events  from  the  standpoint  of  private 
morals,  and,  amongst  other  things,  to  demand  that  in 
international  conflicts  the  victor,  guided  by  the  moral 
code,  should  sit  in  judgment  upon  the  vanquished,  and 
impose  penalties  not  only  for  the  transgressions  of  the 
latter  towards  himself,  but  also,  if  possible,  towards 
others.  Such  a  demand  is  entirely  unjustifiable.  To 
advance  it  shows  an  utter  misapprehension  of  the 
nature  of  political  affairs,  with  which  the  conceptions  of 
punishment,  reward,  and  revenge  have  nothing  in 
common.  To  accede  to  it  would  be  to  pervert  the 
whole  character  of  politics.  Politics  must  leave  to 
Divine  Providence  and  to  the  God  of  Battles  the 
punishment  of  princes  and  peoples  for  breaches  of  the 


Sept.  17, 1870]    EXPEDIENCY  THE  SOLE  GUIDE  187 

moral  law.  The  statesman  has  neither  the  authority 
nor  the  obligation  to  assume  the  office  of  judge.  In  all 
circumstances  the  sole  question  he  has  to  consider  is 
what,  under  the  conditions  given,  is  to  the  advantage 
of  the  country,  and  how  that  advantage  is  to  be  best 
secured.  The  kindlier  affections  have  as  little  place  in 
the  calculations  of  politics  as  they  have  in  those  of 
trade.  It  is  not  the  business  of  politics  to  seek  ven- 
geance for  what  has  been  done,  but  to  take  precautions 
that  it  shall  not  be  done  again.  Applying  these 
principles  to  our  case,  and  to  our  conduct  towards  the 
vanquished  and  imprisoned  Emperor  of  the  French,  we 
take  the  liberty  to  ask  by  what  right  are  we  to  punish 
him  for  the  2nd  of  December,  the  law  of  public  safety, 
and  the  occurrences  in  Mexico,  however  much  we  may 
disapprove  of  those  acts?  Political  principles  do  not 
even  permit  us  to  think  of  taking  revenge  for  the 
present  war,  of  which  he  was  the  author.  Were  we  to 
entertain  such  an  idea,  then  it  is  not  alone  on  Napoleon 
but  almost  on  every  single  Frenchman  that  we  should 
wreak  the  Blucher-like  vengeance  mentioned  by  the 
National  Zeitung ;  for  the  whole  of  France,  with  her 
thirty-five  million  inhabitants,  showed  just  as  much 
approval  of,  and  enthusiasm  for,  this  war  as  for  the 
Mexican  expedition.  Germany  has  simply  to  ask 
herself  the  further  question.  Which  is  more  advan- 
tageous in  the  present  circumstances,  to  treat  Napoleon 
well  or  ill  ?  And  that,  we  believe,  is  not  difficult  to 
answer.  Upon  the  same  principles  we  also  acted  in 
1866.  If  certain  of  the  measures  taken  in  that  year 
and  certain  provisions  in  the  Treaty  of  Prague  could  be 
regarded  as  acts  of  revenge  for  former  affronts,  and 
punishment  for  the  offences  that  led  to  the  war  in 
question,  the  parties  affected  by  those  measures  and 


i88  ''BETTER  NOT  MENTION  NAMES"    [Sept.  18, 1870 

conditions  were  not  exactly  those  who  had  deserved  the 
severest  punishment  or  had  done  most  to  excite  a 
desire  for  vengeance.  Herr  von  Beust's  Saxony  suffered 
no  reduction  of  territory  in  consequence  of  that  crisis, 
and  Austria  just  as  little."  This  last  sentence,  which 
appeared  literally  as  it  now  stands  in  the  Chiefs 
instructions,  was  afterwards  struck  out  by  him.  He 
remarked  with  a  smile,  "  It  is  better  not  to  mention 
names." 

Sunday,  September  IS th. — Early  in  the  day  wrote 
paragraphs  for  Berlin,  Hagenau,  and  Reims,  dealing, 
i7iter  alia,  with  Favre's  declaration  that  "  La  Rdpub- 
lique  c'est  la  paix."  It  was  in  the  main  to  the  following 
effect.  During  the  last  forty  years  France  has  always 
declared  herself  in  favour  of  peace  in  every  form,  and 
has  invariably  acted  in  an  entirely  contrary  spirit. 
Twenty  years  ago  the  Empire  declared  peace  to  be  its 
ideal,  and  now  the  Republic  does  the  same.  In  1829 
Legitimacy  made  a  similar  declaration,  and  at  the  same 
time  a  Franco-Russian  alliance  was  concluded  with  the 
object  of  attacking  Germany ;  and  the  execution  of 
that  plan  was  only  prevented  by  the  Revolution  of 
1830.  It  is  also  known  that  the  "peaceful"  adminis- 
tration of  the  "  Citizen  King "  desired  to  seize  the 
Rhine  in  1840  ;  and  it  will  be  remembered  that  under 
the  Empire  France  has  conducted  more  wars  than 
under  any  other  form  of  government.  These  facts 
show  what  we  have  to  expect  from  M.  Favre's  assur- 
ances respecting  his  Republic.  Germany  has  one 
answer  to  all  these  representations,  namely,  "  La 
France  c'est  la  guerre!"  and  will  act  in  accordance 
with  that  conviction  in  demanding  the  cession  of  Metz 
and  Strassburg. 

The  Minister  joined  us  at  lunch  to-day,  at  which  two 


Sept.  1 8, 1 870]    D UCRO TS  " INFAMO US "  ESCAPE  1 89 

dragoon  guardsmen  were  also  present.  Both  wore  the 
Iron  Cross.  One  of  them,  Lieutenant  Philip  von 
Bismarck,  was  the  Chancellor's  nephew,  an  official  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Judicature  in  times  of  peace.  The 
Chief  asked  him  whether  the  Prince  of  HohenzoUern, 
who  was  attached  to  the  lieutenant's  regiment,  was 
"  also  a  soldier,  or  merely  a  Prince  ?  "  The  answer  was 
favourable.  The  Minister  replied  :  "  I  am  glad  of  that. 
The  fact  of  his  having  announced  his  election  as  King  of 
Spain  to  his  superior  officer,  in  accordance  with  the 
regulations,  impressed  me  in  his  favour." 

The  conversation  turned  upon  the  cost  of  maintain- 
ing Napoleon  at  Wilhelmshohe,  which  is  stated  to  be 
something  enormous.  On  this  the  Chief  remarked  :  "  It 
is  at  the  Queen's  instance  that  Napoleon  has  been  allowed 
to  maintain  a  Court  at  the  King's  expense.  His  Majesty 
had  only  proposed  to  give  him  one  domestic  who  was  to 
keep  watch  over  him.  But  he  himself  observed  to  me 
that  women  are  always  addicted  to  extravagance." 

Mention  was  made  of  General  Ducrot,  who  was  taken 
prisoner  at  Sedan,  and  who,  being  allowed  greater  liberty 
on  pledging  his  word  not  to  escape,  disgraced  himself  by 
absconding  on  the  way  to  Germany.  The  Chief  re- 
marked :  "  When  one  catches  scoundrels  of  that  kind 
who  have  broken  their  word  (of  course,  I  don't  blame 
those  who  get  away  without  it)  they  ought  to  be  strung 
up  in  their  red  breeches  with  the  word  Parjure  written 
on  one  leg,  and  Infdme  on  the  other.  In  the  meantime 
that  must  be  put  in  its  proper  light  in  the  press.  The 
fellow  must  be  shown  up."  The  barbarous  manner  in 
which  the  French  were  conducting  the  war  having  been 
again  referred  to,  the  Minister  said :  "  If  you  peel  the 
white  hide  off  that  sort  of  Gaul  you  will  find  a  Turco 
under  it." 


I90  SOUTH  GERMANY  [Sept.  19, 1870 

Added  later. — VonSuckow,  the  Wlirtemberg  Minister 
of  War,  has  been  a  considerable  time  with  the  Chief  to- 
day, and  it  is  understood  that  the  German  cause  is 
making  excellent  progress  amongst  the  Suabians. 
Things  appear  to  be  going  less  well  in  Bavaria,  where 
the  Minister,  Bray,  seems  to  be  as  hostile  to  the  national 
cause  as  he  well  can  be  in  the  present  circumstances. 

Monday,  September  19th. — It  is  said  to  be  certain 
that  Favre  will  arrive  here  to-day  at  noon  for  the 
purpose  of  negotiating  with  the  Chief.  He  will  have 
fine  weather  for  his  business.  About  10  o'clock  Count 
Bismarck-Bohlen  comes  from  the  Chief.  We  are  to 
start  immediately  for  the  Chateau  of  Ferrieres,  four  or 
five  hours'  journey  from  here.  So  we  pack  up  in  all 
haste. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

BISMARCK    AND    FAVRE    AT    HAUTE-MAISON A    FORTNIGHT 

IN  Rothschild's  chateau 

Jules  Favre  not  having  arrived  up  to  midday  on  the  19th 
of  September,  our  party  started.  The  Minister,  how- 
ever, left  a  letter  for  Favre  at  the  Mairie,  and  told  a 
servant  to  mention  the  fact  to  him  in  case  he  came. 
The  Chief  and  the  Councillors  rode  on  ahead  of  the 
carriages,  of  which  I  had  one  entirely  to  myself.  We 
first  passed  by  the  residence  of  the  King,  who  was 
quartered  in  a  handsome  chateau  on  the  Promenade,  and 
between  the  villages  of  Mareuil  and  Montry  we  met  a 
two-horse  hackney,  in  which  a  Prussian  officer  sat  with 
three  civilians.  One  of  the  latter  was  an  elderlj^  gentle- 
man with  a  grey  beard  and  a  protruding  under  lip. 
"  That's  Favre,"  I  said  to  Kriiger,  the  Chancery 
attendant  who  sat  behind  me.  "  Where  is  the  Minis- 
ter ?  "  He  was  not  to  be  seen,  but  had  probably  gone  on 
before  us,  and  the  long  train  of  conveyances  cut  off  our 
view  in  front.  We  drove  on  rapidly,  and  after  a  while  I 
met  the  Chief  and  Keudell  riding  back  in  the  opposite 
direction. 

"  Favre  has  driven  by,  Excellency,"  I  said. 

*'  I  know,"  he  replied,  smiling,  and  trotted  on. 


192  FAVRES  VISIT  TO  FERRIERES    [Sept.  20, 1870 

Next  day  Count  Hatzfeldt  gave  us  some  particulars 
of  the  meeting  between  the  Chancellor  of  the  Confedera- 
tion and  the  Parisian  lawyer,  now  one  of  the  rulers  of 
France.     The  Minister,   Count   Hatzfeldt  and    Keudell 
were     half     an    hour     ahead    of     us    when    Hofrath 
Taglioni,  who  drove  with  the  King's  suite,  told  them 
that  Favre  had  passed  by.     He  had  come  by  another 
route  and  had  only  reached  its  junction  with  our  road 
after  the  Chief  had  ridden  by.     The  Minister  was  very 
angry  at   not   having   been    sooner   informed    of   this. 
Hatzfeldt  galloped  after  Favre,  with  whom  he  returned, 
finally  meeting  the  Chief  at  Montry.     Here  the  attention 
of  the  Minister  was  called  to  the  little  chateau  of  Haute- 
Maison,  situated  on  a  height  some  ten  minutes  from  the 
village,  as  a  suitable  place  for  the  interview  with  the 
Frenchman.     There  'the  party  found  two  Wtirtemberg 
dragoons,   one    of   whom    was   instructed   to    take    his 
carbine  and  mount  guard  before  the  house.     They  also 
met  there  a  French  peasant,  who  looked  as  if  he  had 
just  received  a  good  thrashing.     While  our  people  were 
asking  this  man  whether  it  was  possible  to  get  anything 
to  eat  or  drink,  Favre,  who  had  gone  into  the  house  with 
the  Chancellor,  came  out  for  a  moment  and  addressed 
his  countryman  in  a  speech  full   of  pathos  and  noble 
sentiments.       Disorderly   attacks   had   been    made,    he 
said,  which  must  be  stopped.     He,  Favre,  was  not  a  spy, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  a  member  of  the  new  government 
which  had  undertaken  to   defend  the  interests  of  the 
country  and  which  represented  its  dignity.     In  the  name 
of  international  law  and  of  the  honour  of  France  he 
called  upon  him  to  keep  watch,  and  to  see  that  tha  place 
was  held  sacred.     That  was  imperatively  demanded  by 
his,  the  statesman's,  honour,  as  well  as  by  that  of  the 
peasant,  and  so  forth.     The  honest  rustic  looked  par- 


Sept.  20,  1870]     THE  FIRST  OVERTURES  OF  PEACE  193 

ticularly  silly  as  he  listened  open-mouthed  to  all  this 
high  falutin,  which  he  evidently  understood  as  little  as  if 
it  were  so  much  Greek.  Keudell  remarked,  "  If  this  is 
the  individual  who  is  to  preserve  us  from  a  surprise,  I  for 
my  part  prefer  to  trust  to  the  sentry." 

On  the  same  evening  I  learnt  from  another  source 
that  lodgings  had  been  taken  for  Favre  in  the  village 
near  the  Chateau  of  Ferrieres,  as  he  desired  to  have  a 
further  conference  with  the  Chief  He  was  accompanied 
by  MM.  Eink  and  Hell,  formerly  Secretaries  of 
Embassy  under  Benedetti,  and  Prince  Biron.  Keudell 
said,  "  As  the  Chancellor  left  the  room  where  his  inter- 
view with  Favre  had  taken  place,  he  asked  the  dragoon 
who  was  on  guard  before  the  door  whence  he  came. 
The  man  replied,  '  From  Schwabisch-HalL'  '  Well, 
then,  you  may  be  proud,'  he  continued,  '  of  having 
stood  guard  over  the  first  negotiation  for  peace  in  this 
war.' " 

In  the  meantime  the  remainder  of  us  had  a  long  wait 
at  Chefiy  for  the  return  of  the  Chancellor,  and  then — 
probably  with  his  permission — drove  on  to  Ferrieres, 
which  we  reached  in  about  two  hours.  On  the  way  we 
passed  along  the  edge  of  the  zone  which  the  French  had 
designedly  laid  waste  all  round  Paris.  Here  the 
destruction  was  not  very  marked,  but  the  population  of 
the  villages  seemed  to  have  been  in  great  part  driven 
away  by  the  Gardes  Mobiles. 

At  length,  just  as  it  began  to  grow  dark,  we  entered 
the  village  of  Ferrieres,  and  shortly  afterwards  Roths- 
child's estate.  The  King  and  the  first  section  of  his 
suite  took  up  their  quarters  for  a  considerable  time  in 
this  chateau.  The  Minister  was  to  lodge  in  the  last 
three  rooms  on  the  first  floor  of  the  right  wing,  looking 
out  on  the  meadows  and  the  park.     A  large  drawing- 

vuL.  1  o 


194  "  ARMCHAIR  STRA  TEGISTS "       [Sept.  20,  1870 

room  on  the  ground  floor  was  selected  for  the  bureau, 
and  a  smaller  one  of  the  same  corridor  as  a  breakfast 
and  dining-room.  Baron  Rothschild  was  in  Paris,  and 
only  left  behind  him  three  or  four  female  domestics  and  a 
housekeeper,  who  gave  himself  great  airs  of  importance. 

It  was  already  dark  when  the  Chief  arrived,  and 
shortly  after  we  sat  down  to  dinner.  While  we  were 
still  at  table  a  message  was  received  from  Favre,  asking 
when  he  could  come  to  continue  the  negotiations.  He 
had  a  conference  tSte-d-tSte  with  the  Chancellor  in  our 
bureau  from  9.30  p.m.  until  after  11.  On  leaving  he 
looked  distressed,  crestfallen,  almost  in  despair — my 
diary  remarks  that  possibly  this  expression  was  assumed 
with  the  object  of  impressing  the  Minister. 

In  connection  with  the  news  that  the  King. has  gone 
to  Clayes  in  order  to  prevent  an  attack  being  made  by 
our  troops,  the  Chief,  in  the  course  of  conversation  at 
dinner,  said,  amongst  other  things,  that  "many  of  our 
generals  have  abused  the  devotion  of  the  troops  in  order 
to  secure  victory."  "Possibly,"  he  added,  "the  hard- 
hearted reprobates  of  the  general  staff"  are  right  when 
they  say  that  even  if  the  whole  five  hundred  thousand 
men  whom  we  have  now  in  France  were  to  be  wiped  out, 
that  should  merely  be  regarded  as  the  loss  of  so  many 
pawns,  so  long  as  we  ultimately  won  the  game.  It  is 
very  simple  strategy,  however,  to  plunge  in  head 
foremost  in  that  way  without  counting  the  cost. 
Altogether,  those  who  conduct  the  operations  are 
often  not  worth  much — armchair  strategists.  A  plan  is 
prepared  in  which  the  whole  calculation  is  based  first  of 
all  upon  the  extraordinary  qualities  of  both  soldiers  and 
regimental  ofi&cers.  It  is  these  who  alone  have  achieved 
everything.  Our  success  is  due  to  the  fact  that  our 
soldiers  are  physically  stronger  than  the  French,  that 


Sept.  20, 1870]      ROTHSCHILUS  HOSPITALITY  195 

they  can  march  better,  have  more  patience  and  sense  of 
duty,  and  are  more  impetuous  in  attack.  If  MacMahon 
had  commanded  Prussian  soldiers  and  Alvensleben 
Frenchmen,  the  latter  would  have  been  defeated — 
although  he  is  my  friend."  "  It  is  no  longer  possible, 
as  it  was  in  the  Seven  Years' War,  to  direct  a  battle  from 
the  saddle — the  armies  are  too  large.  There  is  also  no 
genuine  co-operation  and  mutual  assistance.  Battles 
begin  usually  like  those  described  by  Homer.  Some  of 
the  men  commence  with  small  provocations,  and  go  on 
taunting  each  other,  then  they  begin  to  shoot ;  the 
others  see  this  and  rush  forward,  and  so  finally  the 
engagement  becomes  general."  "  The  plan  of  surround- 
ing the  enemy  is  the  right  one,  and  properly  speaking 
that  was  only  adopted  at  Sedan.  The  engagement  of 
the  16th  at  Metz  was  quite  correct,  as  it  was  necessary 
there  at  any  cost  to  prevent  the  French  from  escaping. 
The  sacrifice  of  the  guards  on  the  18th  however  was  not 
necessary.  It  was  a  piece  of  pure  folly,  occasioned  by 
jealousy  of  the  Saxons.  They  ought  to  have  waited  at 
Saint  Privat  until  the  Saxons  had  completed  their 
manoeuvre  for  cutting  off  the  enemy." 

Keudell  and  Bohlen  afterwards  ascribed  this  un- 
favourable criticism  to  a  quarrel  which  the  Chief  had 
had  with  Moltke  at  Reims. 

While  still  at  table  we  had  a  specimen  of  the 
hospitality  and  gentlemanly  feeling  of  the  Baron,  whose 
house  is  honoured  by  the  presence  of  the  King,  and 
whose  property  has,  in  consequence,  been  treated  with 
every  consideration.  M.  de  Rothschild,  the  hundred- 
fold millionaire,  who,  moreover,  was,  until  recently,  the 
Prussian  Consul- General  in  Paris,  has  declined,  through 
his  housekeeper,  to  let  us  have  the  wine  we  require, 
although  I  informed  that  functionary  that  it  would  be 
paid  for,  just  as  everything  else  was.     When  summoned 

o  2 


196  AN  OBSTRUCTIVE  HOUSE-KEEPER    [Sept.  20,  1870 

before  the  Chief,  he  had  the  audacity  to  persist  in  his 
refusal,  first  denying  absolutely  that  there  was  any  wine 
in  the  house,  and  afterwards  admitting  that  there  were 
a  few  hundred  bottles  of  a  common  Bordeaux.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  there  were  some  seventeen  thousand 
bottles.  The  Minister,  however,  explained  the  situation 
to  him  in  a  few  sharp  words,  pointing  out  how  niggardly 
and  discourteous  it  was  of  his  master  to  requite  the 
King  in  such  manner  for  the  honour  done  to  him  in 
taking  up  his  quarters  there.  As  the  fellow  still  seemed 
obstinate,  the  Chancellor  asked  him  sternly  if  he  knew 
what  a  bundle  of  straw  was.  The  man  made  no  answer, 
but  seemed  to  suspect  what  it  meant,  as  he  became 
deadly  pale.  He  was  then  informed  that  it  was  a 
contrivance  on  which  obstinate  and  impudent  house- 
keepers were  laid  face  downwards — he  could  imagine 
the  rest  for  himself.  Next  day  we  got  everything  that 
we  required,  and,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  there  was  no 
further  cause  of  complaint. 

Next  morning  the  Chief  came  into  the  chamhre  de 
chasse  of  the  chateau,  which  we  occupied  as  our  bureau. 
Turning  over  the  game  book  which  lay  on  the  table  he 
pointed  out  the  entry  for  the  3rd  of  November,  1856, 
which  showed  that  he  himself,  with  Galifi"et  and  other 
guests,  had  that  day  shot  forty-two  head  of  game — 
fourteen  hares,  one  rabbit,  and  twenty-seven  pheasants. 
He  is  now  engaged  with  Moltke  and  others  in  chasing 
a  nobler  quarry — the  bear  to  which  he  referred  at 
Grand  Pre. 

At  11  o'clock  the  Chief  had  his  third  meeting  with 
Favre,  after  which  followed  a  conference  with  the  King, 
at  which  Moltke  and  Roon  were  also  present. 

In  the  evening  I  was  called  to  the  Chief,  who  had  not 
appeared  at  table,  and  who,  it  was  understood,  did  not 
feel  quite  weU.     A  narrow  stone  winding  stairs,  which 


Sept.  21, 1870]  THE  FUTURE  OF  FRANCE  197 

was  distinguished  with  the  title,  "  Escalier  particulier  de 
M.  le  Baron,"  led  to  a  very  elegantly  furnished  room, 
where  I  found  the  Chancellor  sitting  on  the  sofa  in  his 
dressing  gown. 

Wednesday,  September  2\st. — As  the  Chief  had  re- 
covered from  his  indisposition,'we  had  plenty  to  do,  and 
though  most  of  it  cannot  be  made  public,  I  am  now  at 
liberty  to  quote  the  following  passage  from  my  diary  : — 

"  The  imperial  emigrants  in  London  have  established 
an  organ,  La  Situation,  to  represent  their  interests.  Its 
contents  are  to  be  reproduced  in  the  newspapers  we  have 
founded  in  the  eastern  districts  of  France,  but  the  sources 
are  to  be  so  indicated  as  not  to  identify  us  with  the 
views  therein  expressed  :  i.e.,  it  must  be  understood  that 
we  are  not  endeavouring  to  promote  the  restoration  of 
the  Emperor.  Our  object  is  merely  to  maintain  the 
sense  of  insecurity  and  discord  between  the  various 
French  parties,  which  are  all  equally  hostile  to  us.  The 
retention  of  the  imperial  symbols  and  formulas  in 
despatches  will  prove  of  service  in  this  respect ;  other- 
wise Napoleon  or  a  Republic  is  a  matter  of  indifference 
to  us.  We  merely  desire  to  utilise  the  existing  chaos  in 
France.  The  future  of  that  country  does  not  concern 
us.  It  is  the  business  of  the  French  themselves  to  shape 
it  as  best  they  can.  It  is  only  of  importance  to  us  in  so 
far  as  it  affects  our  own  interests,  the  furtherance  of 
which  must  be  the  guiding  principle  in  politics  gene- 
rally." Under  instructions  from  the  Chief  I  telegraphed 
in  the  above  sense  to  the  principal  officials  at  Nancy  and 
Hagenau. 

At  tea  some  further  particulars  were  given  of  the 
last  conference  between  the  Chancellor  and  Jules  Favre. 
Favre  was,  it  seems,  informed  that  we  could  not  com- 
municate to  him  the  exact  conditions  of  peace  until  they 


198  FA  VRE  SHEDS  TEARS  [Sept.  22, 1870 

had  been  settled  at  a  conference  of  the  German  Powers 
engaged  in  the  war.  No  arrangement  could  be  come  to, 
however,  without  a  cession  of  territory,  as  it  was  abso- 
lutely essential  to  us  to  have  a  better  frontier  as  security 
against  French  attack.  The  conference  turned  less  upon 
peace  and  its  conditions  than  on  the  nature  of  French 
concessions,  in  consideration  of  which  we  might  agree  to 
an  armistice.  On  the  mention  of  a  cession  of  territory 
Favre  became  terribly  excited,  drew  a  deep  sigh,  raised 
his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  even  shed  some  patriotic  tears. 
The  Chief  does  not  expect  that  he  will  return.  Doubt- 
less an  answer  in  this  sense  has  been  forwarded  to  the 
Crown  Prince,  who  telegraphed  this  morning  to  ask 
whether  he  should  attend  the  negotiations. 

Tliursdayy  September  22nd,  evening. — The  French 
are  indefatigable  in  denouncing  us  to  the  world  as  cruel 
and  destructive  barbarians  ;  and  the  English  press — 
particularly  the  Standard,  which  is  notoriously  hostile 
to  us — willingly  lends  them  its  assistance.  The  grossest 
calumnies  respecting  our  conduct  towards  the  French 
population  and  the  prisoners  in  our  hands  are  circulated 
almost  daily  by  that  newspaper,  and  always  purport  to 
come  either  from  eye-witnesses  or  other  well-informed 
sources.  Thus,  for  instance,  the  Due  de  Fitz James 
recently  drew  a  horrible  picture  of  the  abominations  of 
which  we  had  been  guilty  in  Bazeilles,  adding  the 
assurance  that  he  exaggerated  nothing;  and  a  M.  L., 
who  represents  himself  to  be  a  French  officer  whom  we 
had  captured  at  Sedan  and  subjected  to  ill-treatment, 
complains  in  a  lamentable  tone  of  Prussian  inhumanity. 
Bernstorff  sent  the  article  in  question  to  the  Chief,  with 
the  suggestion  that  the  charges  should  be  refuted.  The 
complaint  of  M.  L.  might,  perhaps,  be  left  to  answer 
itself,  but  that  of  the  Duke  is  calculated  to  affect  even 


Sept.  22,  1870]     THE  TRUTH  ABOUT  BAZEILLES  199 

those  across  the  Channel  who  are  disposed  in  our  favour. 
Besides,  impudent  calumny  is  always  apt  to  leave  some 
traces  behind  it.  A  refutalof  these  shameful  slanders  is 
accordingly  being  despatched  to-day  to  certain  London 
newspapers  that  are  friendly  to  us.  As  the  greater  part 
of  this  communication  was  dictated  by  the  Chief,  it  is 
worthy  of  special  attention. 

"In  this  war,  as  in  every  other,  a  great  number  of 
villages  have  been  burned  down,  mostly  by  artillery  fire, 
German  as  well  as  French.  In  these  cases  women  and 
children  who  had  sought  refuge  in  the  cellars  and  had 
not  escaped  in  time,  lost  their  lives  in  the  flames.  That 
was  also  the  case  in  Bazeilles,  which  was  several  times 
stormed  by  our  infantry.  The  Due  de  FitzJames  is  only 
an  eye-witness  so  far  as  the  ruins  of  the  village  are  con- 
cerned, which  he  saw  after  the  battle,  just  as  thousands 
more  saw  and  regretted  its  fate.  All  the  rest  of  his 
report  is  based  on  the  stories  of  the  unfortunate  and 
exasperated  villagers.  In  a  country  where  even  the 
Government  has  developed  an  unexampled  talent  for 
systematic  lying,  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  angry 
peasants,  standing  on  the  ruins  of  their  homes,  would 
bear  truthful  witness  against  their  enemies.  It  is  estab- 
lished by  official  reports  that  the  inhabitants  of  Bazeilles, 
not  in  uniform  but  in  their  blouses  and  shirt-sleeves, 
fired  out  of  their  windows  at  our  troops  and  wounded 
soldiers,  and  that  they  killed  whole  batches  of  the  latter 
in  their  houses.  It  has  been  likewise  proved  that  women 
armed  with  knives  and  guns  were  guilty  of  the  greatest 
cruelty  towards  the  fatally  wounded,  and  that  other 
women,  certainly  not  in  the  uniform  of  the  National 
Guards,  took  part  in  the  fight  with  the  male  inhabitants, 
loading  their  rifles  and  even  firing  themselves,  and  that, 
like  the  other  combatants,  some  of  them  were  in  these 


200  FRENCH  FALSEHOODS  [Sept.  22,  1870 

circumstances  wounded  or  killed.  Naturally  these  par- 
ticulars were  not  communicated  to  the  Due  de  Fitz- 
James  by  his  informant.  They  would  have  fully  excused 
the  burning  of  the  village  even  if  it  had  been  done  inten- 
tionally with  the  object  of  forcing  the  enemy  out  of  that 
position.  But  there  is  no  evidence  of  any  such  intention. 
That  women  and  children  were  driven  back  into  the  fire 
is  one  of  those  infamous  lies  with  which  the  French 
terrorise  the  population,  and  incite  their  hatred  against 
us.  In  this  way  they  cause  the  peasants  to  fly  on  our 
approach.  The  latter  return,  however,  as  a  rule,  a  few 
days  after  the  entrance  of  the  Germans,  and  are  as- 
tounded to  find  that  they  are  better  treated  by  them  than 
by  the  French  troops.  When  this  sort  of  terrorism  is 
not  sufficient  to  force  the  inhabitants  to  flight,  the 
Government  sends  a  mob  of  armed  civilians,  sometimes 
supported  by  African  troops,  to  drive  the  peasants  from 
their  homes  at  the  point  of  the  sword,  and  to  burn  down 
their  houses  as  a  punishment  for  their  want  of  patriotism. 
The  letter  of  "an  imprisoned  officer "  (Bouillon,  Sep- 
tember 9  th)  also  contains  more  falsehood  than  truth. 
With  respect  to  the  treatment  of  the  prisoners,Germaiiy 
can  call  150,000  better  witnesses  than  this  anonymous 
and  mendacious  officer,  whose  whole  communication  is 
merely  an  expression  of  the  vindictive  disposition  which 
will  for  a  long  time  to  come  inspire  the  vain  and  arro- 
gant elements  of  the  French  people,  by  whom,  unfortu- 
nately, that  country  allows  itself  to  be  ruled  and  led. 
From  this  spirit  of  revenge  arises  the  certainty  of  further 
attacks  on  the  part  of  France,  for  which  Germany  must 
be  prepared.  We  are  thus  unquestionably  compelled  to 
think  solely  of  the  security  of  our  frontier  in  concluding 
peace.  It  is  true,  as  stated  in  the  letter  of  this  imprisoned 
officer,  M.  L.,  that  there  was  a   scarcity  of  provisions 


Sept.  22, 1870]     HO  W  THE  Y  TREA  T  THEIR  PRISONERS       201 

after  the  surrender  of  Sedan,  not  only  for  the   prisoners, 
but  also  for  the  victors,  who  shared  with  them  what  they 
had.     When  their  own  stock  was  exhausted  the  prisoners 
also  had  to  do  without.    L.'s  complaint  that  he  had  been 
obliged  to  bivouac  in  the  rain  and  mud  furnishes  the  best 
evidence  that  he  is  no  officer,  and  has  not  even  followed 
the  campaign  up  to  that  point.      He  is  some  hireling 
scribe  who  has  never  left  his  own  room,   and  one  must 
therefore  assume  that  the  man's  whole  story  of  his  im- 
prisonment is  an  invention  ;  as,  had  he  been  an  officer  in 
the  field,  he  would  have  known  that  most  of  his  comrades 
(that  is  certainly  the  case  with  the  Germans)  have  spent 
at  least  thirty  nights  out  of  the  forty  or  so   that  have 
elapsed   since  the  beginning   of  the  war  under  similar 
conditions.     When  it  rained  in  the  night  they  had  to 
lie   in   the  rain,   and    when    the    ground    was  muddy 
they  had    to   lie  in    the    mud.      Only  one    who    had 
not  followed    the    campaign    could    have    any    doubt 
or  manifest  any    surprise    on  that  score.     That  M.  L. 
prides    himself   on  having  retained    his    leather   purse 
is  the  clearest  proof  that  he  was  not  plundered.     There 
can  hardly  be  a  single  soldier,  who,  if  he  happens  to 
have  money,  does  not  carry  it  just  as  M.  L.  carried  his, 
and  in  just  such  a  purse  ;  so  that  if  our  men  had  wanted 
his  money,  they  must  have  known  very  well  where  to 
find  it.     The  few  Germans  who  fell  into  French  hands 
can  tell  how   quickly   their   opponents    could   open   a 
prisoner's  tunic,  and  if  his  purse  was  a  little  too  firmly 
fastened  on,  hack  it  off"  with  their  sabres  or  a  knife, 
without  paying  too   much   regard  to   his   skin.      We 
declare  the  assertions   respecting   the  ill-treatment   of 
prisoners  at  Sedan  to  be  wilful  and  audacious  lies.     A 
great  number  of  the  French   prisoners,    perhaps    one- 
fourth,  were  in  a  state  of  bestial  drunkenness,  having 


202      BARBARISM  OF  THE  FRENCH  NATION    [Sept.  22, 1870 

during  tlie  last  few  hours  before  the  capitulation  plun- 
dered the  wine  and  brandy  stores  in  the  town.  It  is 
obvious  that  it  is  not  so  easy  to  manage  men  in  a  state 
of  drunkenness  as  when  they  are  sober,  but  such  ill- 
treatment  as  the  article  describes  occurred  neither  at 
Sedan  nor  elsewhere,  owing  to  the  discipline  which 
prevails  amongst  the  Prussian  troops.  It  is  well  known 
that  this  discipline  has  won  the  admiration  of  the 
French  officers  themselves.  Unfortunately  one  cannot 
speak  as  highly  of  the  French  soldiers  in  this  respect  as 
with  regard  to  their  gallantry  in  action.  The  French 
officers  have  on  several  occasions  been  unable  to  prevent 
their  men  from  murdering  severely  wounded  soldiers, 
even  when  individual  officers  of  high  rank  endeavoured 
at  the  risk  of  their  own  lives  to  defend  the  wounded, 
and  that  was  not  merely  the  case  with  African  regi- 
ments. It  is  known  that  the  German  prisoners  who 
were  taken  into  Metz  were  spat  upon  and  struck  with 
sticks  and  stones  on  their  way  through  the  streets,  and 
on  their  release  had  to  run  the  gauntlet  of  a  double  line 
of  African  soldiers,  who  beat  them  with  canes  and  whips. 
We  can  prove  these  facts  by  official  records,  which  have 
more  claim  to  credence  than  the  anonymous  letter  of 
M.  L.  But  are  such  things  to  be  wondered  at  when 
the  newspapers  of  a  city  like  Paris,  which  now  implores 
considerate  treatment  on  the  hypocritical  plea  of  civili- 
sation, can  propose,  without  eliciting  the  slightest 
protest,  that  when  the  French  troops  are  unable  to  take 
our  wounded  with  them  they  should  split  their  heads 
open  ;  and  further,  that  the  Germans  should  be  used  like 
dead  wolves  to  manure  their  fields?  The  utter  bar- 
barism of  the  French  nation,  covered  with  a  thin  veneer 
of  culture,  has  been  fully  disclosed  in  this  war.  French 
insolence    formerly  said,    '  Grattez    le    Russe     et   vous 


Sept.22,  i87o]     GERMANY'S  NATIONAL  COLOURS  203 

trouverez  le  barbare.'  Whoever  is  in  a  position  to 
compare  the  conduct  of  the  Kussians  towards  their 
enemies  in  the  Crimean  War  with  that  of  the  French  in 
the  present  campaign,  can  have  no  doubt  that  this  state- 
ment recoils  upon  its  authors." 

When  he  had  finished,  the  Minister  added  :  "  Write 
to  Bernstorff  that  I  decline  in  future  to  notice  any 
suggestion  for  entering  into  a  controversy  with  English 
newspapers.  The  Ambassador  must  act  on  his  own 
responsibility." 

Just  as  we  sat  down  to  table,  one  of  the  Court  officials 
announced  that  the  Crown  Prince  proposed  to  come  to 
dinner  and  to  stay  for  the  night.  The  Prince's  secretary 
at  the  time  asked  that  the  bureau  and  the  large  salon 
next  the  Chancellor's  room  should  be  prepared  for  the 
five  gentlemen  who  accompanied  his  Eoyal  Highness. 
The  Chief  replied,  '*  We  cannot  give  up  the  bureau,  as 
we  want  it  for  our  work."  He  then  placed  his  dressing 
room  at  their  disposal,  and  further  proposed  that 
either  Blumenthal  or  Eulenburg  should  sleep  in  his 
bedroom.  He  required  the  salon  for  the  reception  of 
the  French  negotiators  and  any  Princes  who  might  call 
upon  him.  The  Court  official  went  off,  pulling  a  long 
face,  and  was  impertinent  enough  to  make  some  remarks 
in  the  corridor  about  "  discourtesy  "  and  so  forth. 

Count  Lehndorff  dined  with  us,  and  the  conversation 
was  very  lively.  Some  allusion  having  been  made  to 
Frederick  the  Great's  statue  in  Unter  den  Linden,  which 
had  been  decorated  with  black,  red  and  yellow  flags,  the 
Minister  condemned  Wurmb  for  allowing  this  controversy 
to  be  stirred  up.  "  This  stupid  quarrel  about  the  colours 
should  not  have  been  reopened,  and  it  once  more  proves 
Wurmb's  incapacity.  For  me  the  question  is  settled 
and  done  with  since  the  North   German  flag  has  been 


204  '' PEACE  STILL  REMOTE"  [Sept.  22,  1870 

adopted.  Otherwise  this  battle  of  colours  is  a  matter 
of  indifference  to  me.  As  far  as  I  am  concerned  they 
may  be  green,  yellow,  and  all  the  colours  of  a  fancy 
dress  ball,  or  they  can  take  the  banner  of  Mecklenburg- 
Strelitz.  Only  the  Prussian  soldier  will  have  nothing 
to  do  with  the  black,  red,  and  yellow." 

The  Chief  then  spoke  of  the  peace,  which  he  still 
considered  remote,  adding  :  "  If  they  (the  French 
Government)  go  to  Orleans,  we  shall  follow  them  there, 
and  further — right  down  to  the  sea  shore."  He  read 
out  some  telegrams,  including  one  giving  a  list  of  the 
troops  in  Paris.  "  There  are  supposed  to  be  180,000  men 
in  all,  but  there  are  hardly  60,000  real  soldiers  amongst 
them.  The  mobile  and  national  guards  with  their  snuff- 
boxes (a  reference  to  their  obsolete  weapons)  are  not  to 
be  reckoned  as  soldiers." 

I  asked  if  I  should  telegraph  about  the  report  of 
artillery  and  rifle-fire  in  the  streets  of  Paris,  which 
people  fancied  they  had  heard.  He  said  I  was  to  do  so. 
"  But  not  yet,  I  suppose,  about  the  negotiations  with 
Favre  ? "  "  Yes,"  he  replied,  and  then  went  on  as 
follows  :  "  First  at  Haute-Maison,  near  Montry,  then  the 
same  evening  at  Ferrieres,  and  next  day  a  third  conver- 
sation, but  without  effect,  as  regards  the  armistice  and 
the  peace.  Other  French  parties  have  also  entered  into 
negotiations  with  us,"  he  said,  and  gave  some  indications 
from  which  I  gathered  that  he  referred  to  the  Empress 
Eugenie. 

Something  else  led  him  to  speak  of  his  skill  in 
shooting.  He  said  that  as  a  young  man  he  could  hit 
a  sheet  of  paper  with  a  pistol  at  a  hundred  yards,  and 
had  shot  off  the  heads  of  ducks  in  the  pond. 

He  then  mentioned  that  he  had  again  complained  to 
Treskow  of  the  "  short  commons  at  the  Eoyal  table,"  at 


Sept.  22, 1870]      THE  STUD  V  OF  LA  TIN  AND  GREEK         205 

which  Treskow  pulled  a  long  face.  "  But  if  I  am  to 
work  well  I  must  have  sufficient  food.  I  cannot  make  a 
proper  peace  if  I  do  not  get  enough  to  eat  and  drink. 
That's  a  necessity  of  my  trade,  and  therefore  I  prefer  to 
dine  at  home." 

The  conversation  then  turned  on  the  dead  languages 
— I  cannot  now  say  how.  "  When  I  was  in  the  first 
class  at  the  high  school,"  he  said,  "I  was  able  to  write 
and  speak  Latin  very  well.  I  should  now  find  it  ex- 
tremely difficult ;  and  I  have  quite  forgotten  Greek,  I 
cannot  understand  why  people  take  so  much  trouble 
with  these  languages.  It  must  be  merely  because  learned 
men  do  not  wish  to  lessen  the  value  of  what  they  have 
themselves  so  laboriously  acquired."  I  ventured  to 
remind  him  of  the  mental  discipline  thus  provided.  The 
Chief  replied,  "  Yes ;  but  if  you  think  Greek  is  a  dis- 
ciplina  mentis,  the  Russian  language  is  far  better  in 
that  respect.  It  might  be  introduced  instead  of  Greek 
— and  it  has  immediate  practical  value  in  addition." 

We  then  spoke  of  the  way  in  which  the  Schleswig- 
Holstein  question  was  treated  by  the  Bundestag  in  the 
fifties.  Count  Bismarck-Bohlen,  who  had  come  in  in 
the  meantime,  remarked  that  those  debates  must  have 
been  dull  enough  to  send  every  one  to  sleep.  "  Yes," 
said  the  Chief,  "  in  Frankfurt  they  slept  over  the 
negotiations  with  their  eyes  open.  Altogether  it  was  a 
sleepy  and  insipid  crowd,  and  things  only  became  en- 
durable after  I  had  added  the  pepper."  He  then  told  us  a 
delightful  story  about  Count  Rechberg,  who  was  at  that 
time  Austrian  Minister  to  the  Bundestag.  "  On  one 
occasion  he  said  something  to  me  which  I  was  obliged 
to  answer  very  roughly.  He  replied  that  unless  I  with- 
drew my  words  it  would  be  a  case  of  going  out  on  to 
the  Bockenheimer  Haide  (a  place  where  it  was  customary 


2o6  AN  ABORTIVE  CHALLENGE        [Sept.  22, 1870 

to  settle  affairs  of  honour).  '  I  never  withdraw  my 
words,'  said  I,  carelessly,  '  so  we  must  settle  it  in  that 
way,  and  it  occurs  to  me  that  the  garden  down  stairs 
would  be  a  very  suitable  place.  But  in  order  that 
people  may  not  think  that  I  represent  my  King  pistol 
in  hand,  without  further  ceremony  I  shall  write  down  here 
the  cause  of  our  quarrel.  After  you  have  read  it  over 
you  will  sign  it,  and  thus  testify  to  its  correctness.  In 
the  meantime  there  is  one  of  our  officers  lodging  here 
who  will  oblige  me,  and  you  can  choose  one  of  your  own 
officers.'  I  rang  the  bell  and  sent  word  to  the  officer, 
requesting  him  to  call  upon  me ;  and  then  went  on 
writing  while  Bechberg  strode  up  and  down  the  room — 
and  gluck,  gluck,  gluck  (here  the  Minister  mimicked  the 
act  of  drinking)  he  swallowed  one  glass  of  water  after 
another.  Of  course  not  because  he  was  afraid,  but 
because  he  was  considering  whether  he  ought  not  first 
to  ask  permission  of  his  Government.  I  quietly 
continued  to  write.  The  officer  came  and  said  he  would 
gladly  oblige  me.  I  begged  him  to  wait  a  moment. 
On  my  return  Rechberg  said  he  would  think  over  the 
matter  until  morning,  to  which  I  agreed.  As  I  did  not 
hear  from  him  next  day,  however,  I  sent  the  Mecklen- 
burg Minister,  old  Oertzen,  to  deliver  a  formal  challenge. 
Oertzen  was  told  he  was  not  at  home.  He  went  again 
next  day,  but  Rechberg  was  still  not  to  be  seen.  He 
had  evidently  written  to  Vienna  and  was  waiting  for  an 
answer.  At  length  Oertzen  came  to  me  after  having 
spoken  to  him.  Rechberg  was  prepared  to  withdraw 
what  he  had  said  and  offer  an  apology,  either  in  writing 
or  verbally,  just  as  I  liked.  He  would  also  come  to  me 
if  I  wished.  I  went  to  his  place,  however,  and  the 
affair  was  settled." 

I  asked  him  then  about  the  celebrated  story  of  the, 


Sept.  22, 1870]  THE  HISTORICAL  CIGAR  207 

cigars.  "  Which  do  you  mean  ?  "  "  Why,  about  the 
cigar  which  you  lit,  Excellency,  when  Rechberg  was 
smoking  in  your  presence."  "  Thun,  you  mean.  Yes, 
that  was  very  simple.  I  went  to  him  while  he  was  at 
work,  and  he  was  smoking.  He  begged  me  to  excuse 
him  for  a  moment.  I  waited  a  while  and  finding  it 
rather  slow,  as  he  did  not  offer  me  a  cigar,  I  took  one  of 
my  own  and  asked  him  for  a  light — which  he  gave  me 
with  rather  a  surprised  look.  But  I  have  another  story 
of  the  same  kind.  At  the  sittings  of  the  Military 
Commission,  when  Rochow  represented  Prussia  at  the 
Bundestag,  Austria  was  the  only  one  who  smoked. 
Rochow,  who  was  passionately  addicted  to  smoking, 
would  gladly  have  done  the  same,  but  had  not  sufficient 
confidence.  When  I  came  I  also  felt  a  longing  for  a 
cigar,  and  as  I  could  not  see  why  I  should  deny  myself 
I  begged  the  presiding  power  to  give  me  a  light, 
apparently  much  to  his  and  the  other  gentlemen's 
astonishment  and  displeasure.  It  was  evidently  an 
event  for  them  all.  For  the  time  being  only  Austria 
and  Prussia  smoked.  But  the  remaining  gentlemen 
obviously  considered  the  matter  of  so  much  importance 
that  they  wrote  home  for  instructions  as  to  how  they 
were  to  act  in  the  circumstances.  The  authorities  were 
in  no  hurry.  The  afi'air  was  one  that  demanded  careful 
consideration,  and  for  nearly  six  months  the  two  great 
Powers  smoked  alone.  Then  Schrenkh,  the  Bavarian 
Minister,  began  to  assert  the  dignity  of  his  office  by 
lighting  his  weed.  Nostitz,  the  Saxon,  had  certainly  a 
great  desire  to  do  the  same,  but  had  probably  not  yet 
received  the  permission  of  his  Minister.  On  seeing 
Bothmer,  of  Hanover,  however,  allow  himself  that 
liberty,  Nostitz,  who  was  strongly  Austrian  in  his  sym- 
pathies, having  sons  in  the  Austrian  army,  must  have 


2o8    FA  VRE  REJECTS  BISMARCK'S  DEMANDS  [Sept.  23, 1870 

come  to  an  understanding  with  Rechberg,  with  the  result 
that  he  too  at  the  next  sitting  pulled  out  his  cigar  case 
and  puflFed  away  with  the  rest.  Only  the  representa- 
tives of  Wiirtemberg  and  Darmstadt  now  remained,  and 
they  were  non-smokers.  The  honour  and  dignity  of 
their  States,  however,  imperiously  demanded  that  they 
should  follow  suit,  and  so  as  a  matter  of  fact  the 
Wiirtemberger  pulled  out  a  cigar  at  the  next  sitting — 
I  can  still  see  it  in  my  mind's  eye,  a  long,  thin,  yellow 
thing  of  the  colour  of  rye  straw — and  smoked  at  least 
half  of  it  as  a  burnt- offering  on  the  altar  of  patriotism. 
Hesse-Darmstadt  was  the  only  one  who  finally  refrained 
— probably  conscious  that  he  was  not  strong  enough  to 
enter  into  rivalry  with  the  others."  ^ 

Friday,  September  2Srd. — Beautiful  weather  this 
morning.  I  took  a  walk  in  the  park  before  the  Chief 
got  up.  On  my  return  I  met  Keudell,  who  called  out 
"War!  A  letter  from  Favre  rejecting  our  demands. 
The  Chief  has  given  instructions  to  communicate  the 
letter  to  the  press  with  certain  comments,  hinting  that 
the  present  occupant  of  Wilhelmshohe  is  after  all  not  so 
bad  and  might  be  of  use  to  us." 

The  conversation  afterwards  turned  on  Pomeranian 
affairs,  and  the  Chief  spoke  amongst  other  things  of  the 
great  estate  of  Schmoldin.  The  former  proprietor  had 
become  bankrupt  through  treating  the  people  on  the 
estate — mostly  Slav  fishermen  and  sailors — with  too 
much  consideration.  The  place,  which  consisted  of 
about  8,000  acres  of  arable  land,  and  12,000  to  16,000 
acres  of  forest  and  downs,  worth  at  least  200,000 
thalers,  was  purchased  by  the  Royal  Treasury  for 
80,000   thalers.     The    change   of  proprietors   had  not 

^  The  Wiirtemberger  was  Von  Reinhard,  and  the  Darmstadter  Von 
Munch-Bellinghausen,  both  determined  opponents  of  Prussia. 


Sept.25,  i87o]     THE  FRENCH  ULTRAMONTANES  209 

benefited  the  tenants,  as  there  was  no  question  of  for- 
bearance or  abatements.  Many  of  them  have  fallen 
into  a  state  of  pauperism,  and  instead  of  being  provided 
for  by  the  Royal  Treasury,  they  have  become  a  burden 
on  the  local  authorities.  That  is  not  as  it  ought  to  be. 
It  was  believed  that  Obstfelder  was  to  blame  for  this 
hard  and  unfair  treatment. 

Saturday,  September  2^th. — The  Minister  spoke  at 
dinner  about  the  ostentatious  decorations  of  the  great 
hall  of  the  chateau,  which  he  had  now  seen  for  the  first 
time.  Amongst  other  things  it  contains  a  throne  or 
table  which  some  French  marshal  or  general  inadver- 
tently packed  up  with  his  baggage  somewhere  in  China, 
or  Cochin  China,  and  afterwards  sold  to  our  Baron.  The 
Chiefs  verdict  was  : — "  All  extremely  costly,  but  not 
particularly  beautiful,  and  still  less  comfortable."  He 
then  continued  : — "  A  ready-made  property  like  this 
would  not  give  me  any  genuine  satisfaction.  It  was 
made  by  others,  and  not  by  myself.  True,  there  are 
many  things  in  it  really  beautiful,  but  one  misses  the 
pleasure  of  creating  and  altering.  It  is  also  quite  a 
difi'erent  thing  when  I  have  to  ask  myself  if  I  can  afi'ord 
to  spend  five  or  ten  thousand  thalers  on  this  or  that 
improvement,  and  when  there  is  no  need  to  think  about 
the  cost.  In  the  end  it  must  become  tiresome  to  have 
always  enough  and  more  than  enough." 

In  an  article  written  this  evening  we  returned  to 
our  good  friends  the  French  Ultramontanes,  who  are  as 
active  in  war  as  they  had  been  in  peace  in  opposing  the 
German  cause,  inciting  people  against  us,  circulating  lies 
about  us  in  the  newspapers,  and  even  leading  the 
peasants  to  take  up  arms  against  our  troops,  as  at 
Beaumont  and  Bazeilles. 

Sunday,  September  25th. — At  table   we   somehow 

VOL.    I  P 


2IO  DISCUSSING  THE  JEWS  [Sept. 26, 1870 

came  to  discuss  the  Jews.  "  They  have  no  real  home," 
said  the  Chief.  They  are  international — Europeans, 
cosmopolitans,  nomads.  Their  fatherland  is  Zion, 
Jerusalem.  Otherwise  they  are  citizens  of  the  whole 
world,  and  hold  together  everywhere.  There  are 
amongst  them  some  good,  honest  people,  as  for 
instance  one  at  our  own  place  in  Pomerania,  who 
traded  in  hides  and  such  things.  Business  cannot  have 
prospered  with  him,  as  he  became  bankrupt.  He 
begged  of  me  not  to  press  my  claim,  and  promised 
that  he  would  pay  by  instalments,  when  he  could. 
Yielding  to  my  old  habit,  I  agreed,  and  he  actually 
paid  off  the  debt.  I  received  instalments  from  him 
while  I  was  still  in  Frankfurt  as  Minister  to  the 
Bundestag,  and  I  believe  that  if  I  lost  anything  at  all, 
I  must  have  lost  less  than  his  other  creditors.  Certainly 
not  many  such  Jews  are  to  be  met  with  in  our  large 
towns.  They  have  also  their  own  special  virtues.  They 
are  credited  with  respect  for  their  parents,  faithfulness 
in  marriage,  and  benevolence." 

Monday,  September  26th. — In  the  morning  wrote 
various  paragraphs  for  the  press  on  the  following  theme : 
It  is  urged  that  we  cannot  be  allowed  to  bombard  Paris, 
with  its  numerous  museums,  beautiful  public  buildings 
and  monuments  ;  that  to  do  so  would  be  a  crime  against 
civilisation.  But  why  not  ?  Paris  is  a  fortress,  and  if 
it  has  been  filled  with  treasures  of  art,  if  it  possesses 
magnificent  palaces  and  other  beautiful  structures,  that 
does  not  alter  this  character.  A  fortress  is  an  instrument 
for  warlike  operations  which  must  be  rendered  powerless 
without  regard  to  whatever  else  may  be  bound  up  with 
it.  If  the  French  wanted  to  preserve  their  monuments 
and  collections  of  books  and  pictures  from  the  dangers 
of  war  they  should  not  have  surrounded  them  with 


Sept.  26, 1 870]         WH Y  NOT  BOMBARD  PARIS ?  211 

fortifications.  Besides,  the  French  themselves  did  not 
hesitate  for  a  moment  to  bombard  Kome,  which  con- 
tained monuments  of  far  greater  value,  the  destruction 
of  which  would  be  an  irretrievable  loss.  Also  sent  off 
an  article  on  the  bellicose  tendencies  of  the  French 
Radicals  previous  to  the  declaration  of  war,  for  use  in  our 
newspapers  in  Alsace. 

At  dinner,  as  we  were  discussing  military  matters, 
the  Chief  declared,  inter  alia,  that  the  uhlans  were  the 
best  cavalry.  The  lance  gave  the  men  great  self- 
confidence.  It  was  urged  that  it  was  a  hindrance  in 
getting  through  underwood,  but  that  was  a  mistake. 
On  the  contrary,  the  lance  was  useful  in  moving  aside 
the  branches.  He  knew  that  from  experience,  as, 
although  he  first  served  in  the  rifles,  he  was  afterwards 
in  the  Landwehr  cavalry.  The  abolition  of  the  lance 
in  the  entire  mounted  Landwehr  was  a  blunder.  The 
curved  sabre  was  not  much  use,  particularly  as  it  was 
often  blunt.  The  straight  thrusting  sword  was  much 
more  practical. 

After  dinner  a  letter  was  received  from  Favre,  in 
which  he  requested,  first,  that  notice  should  be  given  of 
the  commencement  of  the  bombardment  of  Paris,  in  order 
that  the  diplomatic  corps  might  remove  ;  and,  second, 
that  the  city  should  be  permitted  to  remain  in  com- 
munication with  the  outer  world  by  letter.  Abeken 
said,  as  he  brought  the  letter  down  from  the  Chief's 
room,  that  the  answer  would  be  sent  by  way  of  Brussels. 
"  But  then  the  letter  will  arrive  late  or  not  at  all,  and 
be  returned  to  us,"  observed  Keudell.  "  Well,  that 
does  not  matter,"  answered  Abeken.  From  the  further 
conversation  it  appears  that  the  answer  agrees  to  the 
French  proposals  under  certain  conditions. 

In  the  evening  I  was  again  caUed   to  the  Chief  on 

C3  CD 

P  2 


212  NEWSPAPERS  FOR  THE  KING     [Sept.  26, 1870 

several  occasions  to  take  instructions.  Amongst  other 
things,  I  ascertained  that,  "  while  Favre's  report 
respecting  his  interviews  with  the  Chancellor  shows,  it 
is  true,  a  desire  to  give  a  faithful  account  of  what  passed, 
it  is  not  quite  accurate,  which  is  not  surprising  in  the 
circumstances,  especially  as  there  were  three  diflferent 
meetings."  In  his  statement  the  question  of  an  armistice 
occupies  a  secondary  position,  whereas,  in  fact,  it  was 
the  chief  point.  Favre  was  prepared  to  pay  a  con- 
siderable cash  indemnity.  In  the  matter  of  a  truce  two 
alternatives  were  discussed.  First,  the  surrender  to  us 
of  a  portion  of  the  fortifications  of  Paris,  namely,  at  a 
point  which  would  give  us  the  command  of  the  city,  we 
on  our  part  to  allow  free  communication  with  the  outer 
world.  The  second  was  that  we  should  forego  that 
condition,  but  that  Strassburg  and  Toul  should  be  sur- 
rendered to  us.  We  put  forward  the  latter  demand 
because  the  retention  of  these  towns  in  the  hands  of 
the  French  increases  our  difficulties  of  commissariat 
transport.  The  Chancellor  stated  that  with  respect  to 
a  cession  of  territory,  he  could  only  disclose  its  extent 
and  frontiers  when  our  demand  had  been  accepted  in 
principle.  On  Favre  requesting  to  have  at  least  an 
indication  of  what  we  proposed  in  this  respect,  he  was 
informed  that  for  our  security  in  the  future  we  required 
Strassburg,  "  the  key  of  our  house,"  the  departments  of 
the  Upper  and  Lower  Ehine,  Metz,  and  a  portion  of  the 
Moselle  department.  The  object  of  the  armistice  was 
to  submit  the  question  of  peace  to  a  National  Assembly 
to  be  summoned  for  the  purpose. 

Again  called  to  the  Chief.  "  The  King  wishes  to 
see  some  of  the  newspapers,  and  he  desires  to  have  the 
most  important  passages  marked.  I  have  proposed 
Brass  to  him,  and  when  the  papers  come,  put  that  one 


Sept.  27,  iSyo]    A  GERMAN  ANSWER  IN  GERMAN  213 

(the  Norddeiitsche  AUgemeine  Zeitung)  always  aside 
for  him."  He  added,  smiling,  "  Just  mark  some  places 
for  the  sake  of  appearances,  it  does  not  much  matter 
what,  and  send  me  up  the  paper." 

At  tea  we  hear  a  great  piece  of  news  : — the  Italians 
have  occupied  Kome,  the  Pope  and  the  diplomatists 
remaining  in  the  Vatican. 

Tuesday,  September  27th. — Bolsing,  on  the  Chiefs 
instructions,  shows  me  the  answer  to  Favre's  letter, 
which  the  Minister  has  rewritten  in  a  shorter  and  more 
positive  form.  It  says,  1.  It  is  not  usual  in  war  to 
announce  the  commencement  of  an  attack ;  2.  A 
besieged  fortress  does  not  appear  to  be  a  suitable 
residence  for  diplomatists ;  open  letters  containing 
nothing  objectionable  will  be  allowed  to  pass.  It  is 
hoped  that  the  corps  diplomatique  will  agree  with  this 
view  of  the  matter.  They  can  go  to  Tours,  whither  it 
would  appear  the  French  Government  also  intends  to 
remove.  The  answer  is  written  in  German,  a  course 
already  begun  by  Bernstorff,  but  which  was  carried  out 
more  consistently  by  Bismarck.  "  Formerly,"  said 
Bolsing,  "  most  of  the  Secretaries  in  the  Foreign  Office 
belonged  to  the  French  colony,  of  which  Eoland  and 
Delacroix  still  remain.  Almost  all  the  Councillors  also 
wrote  in  that  language.  Even  the  register  of  the 
despatches  was  kept  in  French,  and  the  Ambassadors 
usually  reported  in  that  language."  Now  the  speech  of 
the  "  vile  Gaul,"  as  Count  Bohlen  calls  the  French,  is 
only  used  in  exceptional  cases,  that  is,  in  communicating 
with  Governments  and  Ambassadors  to  whom  we  cannot 
write  or  reply  in  their  mother  tongue.  The  registers 
have  for  years  past  been  kept  in  German. 

The  Chief  has  been  at  work  since  8  o'clock  in  the 


214  FAVRES  TEARS  [Sept. 27, 1870 

morning — unusually  early  for  him.  He  has  again  been 
unable  to  sleep. 

Prince  Eadziwill  and  Knobelsdorff,  of  the  general 
staff,  joined  us  at  dinner.  In  speaking  of  that  part  of 
Favre's  report  in  which  he  says  that  he  wept,  the 
Minister  thinks  he  can  only  have  pretended  to  do  so. 
"  It  is  true/'  he  said,  "  that  he  looked  as  if  he  had  done 
so,  and  I  tried  to  some  extent  to  console  him.  On  my 
observing  him  more  closely,  however,  I  felt  quite 
certain  that  he  had  not  succeeded  in  squeezing  out  a 
single  tear.  It  was  all  merely  a  piece  of  acting  on  his 
part.  He  thought  to  work  upon  me  in  the  same  manner 
as  a  Parisian  lawyer  tries  to  move  a  jury.  I  am 
perfectly  convinced  that  he  was  painted  at  Ferrieres — 
particularly  at  the  second  interview.  That  morning  he 
looked  much  greyer  and  quite  green  under  the  eyes — I 
am  prepared  to  bet  that  it  was  paint — grey  and  green, 
to  give  himself  an  appearance  of  deep  suffering.  It  is, 
of  course,  possible  that  he  was  deeply  affected  ;  but  then 
he  can  be  no  politician  or  he  would  know  that  pity  has 
nothing  to  do  with  politics."  After  a  while  the 
Minister  added  :  "  When  I  hinted  something  about 
Strassburg  and  Metz,  he  assumed  a  look  as  if  he  thought 
I  was  jesting.  I  could  have  given  him  the  answer 
which  the  great  fur  dealer  of  Unter  den  Linden  in 
Berlin  once  gave  me.  I  went  there  to  choose  a  fur  coat, 
and  on  his  naming  a  very  high  price  for  one  to  which  I 
had  taken  a  fancy,  I  said,  '  Surely  you  are  joking.' 
'  No,'  he  replied,  '  I  never  make  jokes  in  business.'  " 

The  conversation  then  turned  upon  the  occupation 
of  Rome  and  the  Pope's  position  in  the  Vatican,  on 
which  point  the  Chief  said,  amongst  other  things  :  "  He 
must  remain  a  Sovereign.     The  only  question  is,  how  ? 


Sept.27,  i87o]  GENERAL  BURNSIDE  215 

It  would  be  possible  to  do  more  for  him  if  the  Ultra- 
montanes  were  not  so  much  opposed  to  us  everywhere. 
I  am  accustomed  to  pay  people  back  in  their  own  coin. 
I  should  like  to  know  how  our  Harry  (von  Arnim,  the 
North  German  Ambassador  to  the  Holy  See)  now  feels. 
Probably,  like  his  reports,  his  feelings  change  three 
times  within  the  twenty-four  hours.  He  is  really  too 
distinguished  an  Ambassador  for  such  a  small  Sovereign. 
The  Pope,  however,  is  not  merely  the  ruler  of  the  Papal 
States,  he  is  also  the  head  of  the  Catholic  Church." 

After  dinner,  just  as  we  had  finished  our  coffee,  the 
American  general,  Burnside,  who  had  called  whilst  we 
were  at  table,  presented  himself  again,  accompanied  by 
an  elderly  gentleman  who  wore  a  red  woollen  shirt  and  a 
paper  collar.  The  general,  a  rather  tall,  portly 
gentleman,  with  thick,  bushy  eyebrows,  and  an  ex- 
ceptionally fine  set  of  beautifully  white  teeth  and  close- 
cut,  mutton-chop  whiskers,  might  pass  for  an  elderly 
Prussian  major  in  plain  clothes.  The  Chief  sat  with 
him  on  the  sofa,  and  had  a  lively  conversation  in 
English  over  a  couple  of  glasses  of  kirschwasser,  which 
were  afterwards  replenished.  Prince  Eadziwill,  in  the 
meantime,  had  a  talk  with  the  general's  companion. 

After  the  Minister  had  observed  to  his  visitor  that  he 
had  come  rather  late  to  see  the  fighting,  he  went  on  to 
say  that  in  July  we  had  not  the  least  desire  for  war,  and 
that  when  we  were  surprised  by  the  declaration  of  hos- 
tilities, no  one,  neither  the  King  nor  the  people,  had 
thought  of  any  conquests.  Our  army  was  an  excellent 
one  for  a  war  of  defence,  but  it  would  be  difficult  to  use. 
it  for  schemes  of  aggrandisement,  because  with  us  th> 
army  was  the  people  itself,  which  did  not  lust  after 
glory,  as  it  required  and  wished  for  peace.  But  for  that 
very  reason  both  popular  sentiment  and  the  press  now 


2i6  A  METAPHYSICAL  GREASE-SPOT    [Sept.  28, 1870 

demanded  a  better  frontier.  For  the  sake  of  the  main- 
tenance of  peace  we  must  secure  ourselves  in  future 
against  attack  from  a  vainglorious  and  covetous  nation, 
and  that  security  could  only  be  found  in  a  better  defen- 
sive position  than  we  had  hitherto  had.  Burnside  seemed 
inclined  to  agree,  and  he  praised  very  highly  our 
excellent  organisation  and  the  gallantry  of  our  troops. 

Wednesday,  September  ^Sth. — The  general  conversa- 
tion at  dinner  gradually  adopted  a  more  serious  tone. 
The  Chancellor  began  by  complaining  that  Voigts-Rhetz 
in  his  report  had  not  said  a  single  word  about  the 
gallant  charge  of  the  two  regiments  of  dragoon  guards 
at  Mars  la  Tour,  which  nevertheless  he  himself  had 
ordered,  and  which  had  saved  the  10th  Army  Corps. 
"It  was  necessary — I  grant  that;  but  then  it  ought 
not  to  have  been  passed  over  in  silence." 

The  Minister  then  began  a  lengthy  speech,  which 
ultimately  assumed  the  character  of  a  dialogue  between 
himself  and  Katt.  Pointing  to  a  spot  of  grease  on  the 
tablecloth,  the  Chief  remarked  :  "  Just  in  the  same  way 
as  that  spot  spreads  and  spreads,  so  the  feeling  that  it  is 
beautiful  to  die  for  one's  country  and  honour,  even  with- 
out recognition,  sinks  deeper  into  the  skin  of  the  people 
now  that  it  has  been  bathed  in  blood — it  spreads  wider 

and  wider Yes,  yes,  the  non-commissioned  officer 

has  the  same  views  and  the  same  sense  of  duty  as  the 
lieutenant  and  the  colonel — with  us  Germans.  That 
feeling    in  general  goes  very  deep  through  all    classes 

of  the  nation The  French  are  a  mass  that  can 

easily  be  brought  under  one  influence,  and  then  they 
produce  a  great  effect.  Amongst  our  people  everybody 
has  his  own  opinion.  But  when  once  a  large  number 
of  Germans  come  to  hold  the  same  opinion,  great  things 
can  be  done  with  them.    If  they  were  all  agreed  they 


Sept.28,  i87o]    BISMARCK'S  DUTY  TOWARDS  GOD  217 

would  be  all-powerful The  French  have  not  that 

sense  of  duty  which  enables  a  man  to  allow  himself  to 
be  shot  dead  alone  in  the  dark.  And  that  comes  from 
the  remnant  of  faith  which  still  abides  in  our  people  ;  it 
comes  from  the  knowledge  that  there  is  Someone  there 
Who  sees  me  even  if  my  lieutenant  does  not  see  me." 

"Do  you  believe  that  the  soldiers  reflect  on  such 
things,  Excellency  ? "  asked  Fiirstenstein. 

"  '  Reflect  V  no.  It  is  a  feeling — a  frame  of  mind  ;  an 
instinct,  if  you  like.     When  once  they  reflect  they  lose 

that  feeling ;  they  argue  themselves  out  of  it I 

cannot  conceive  how  men  can  live  together  in  an  orderly 
manner,  how  one  can  do  his  duty  and  allow  others  to  do 
theirs  without  faith  in  a  revealed  religion,  in  God,  Who 
wills  what  is  right,  in  a  higher  Judge  and  a  future 
life." 

The  Grand  Duke  of  Weimar  was  announced.  But  the 
Minister  continued,  it  might  well  be  for  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  longer,  at  times  suddenly  departing  from  his 
proper  theme,  and  frequently  repeating  the  same  idea  in 
other  words  :  "If  I  were  no  longer  a  Christian  I  would 
not  serve  the  King  another  hour. 

"  If  I  did  not  put  my  trust  in  God  I  should  certainly 
place  none  in  any  earthly  masters.  Why,  I  had  quite 
enough  to  live  on,  and  had  a  sufficiently  distinguished 
position.  Why  should  I  labour  and  toil  unceasingly 
in  this  world,  and  expose  myself  to  worry  and  vexation 
if  I  did  not  feel  that  I  must  do  my  duty  towards  God  ?  ^ 

*  Compare  this  passage  with  the  speech  delivered  by  Bismarck  in  the 
United  Diet  on  the  15th  of  June,  1847.  On  that  occasion  he  said,  "lam 
of  opinion  that  the  conception  of  the  Christian  state  is  as  old  as  the  so- 
called  Holy  Roman  Empire,  as  old  as  all  the  European  States,  and  that  it 
is  exactly  the  ground  in  which  those  States  have  struck  deep  roots  ;  and 
further,  that  each  State  that  wishes  to  secure  its  own  permanence,  or  even 
if  it  merely  desires  to  prove  its  right  to  existence,  must  act  upon  religious 


2i8  '' BY  NATURE  A  REPUBLICAN''    [Sept.  28,  1870 

If  I  did  not  believe  in  a  Divine  Providence  which  has 
ordained  this  German  nation  to  something  good  and 
great,  I  would  at  once  give  up  my  trade  as  a  States- 
man or  I  should  never  have  gone  into  the  business. 
Orders  and  titles  have  no  attraction  for  me.  A  resolute 
faith  in  a  life  after  death — for  that  reason  I  am  a 
Koyalist,  otherwise  I  am  by  nature  a  Republican. 
Yes,  I  am  a  Republican  in  the  highest  degree  ;  and  the 
firm  determination  which  I  have  displayed  for  ten  long 
years  in  presence  of  all  possible  forms  of  absurdity  at 
Court  is  solely  due  to  my  resolute  faith.  Deprive  me 
of  this  faith  and  you  deprive  me  of  my  fatherland.  If 
I  were  not  a  firm  believer  in  Christianity,  if  I  had  not 
the  wonderful  basis  of  religion,  you  would  never  have 
had  such  a  Chancellor  of  the  Confederation.  If  I  had 
not  the  wonderful  basis  of  religion  I  should  have  turned 
my  back  to  the  whole  Court — and  if  you  are  able  to 
find  me  a  successor  who  has  that  basis  I  will  retire  at 
once.  But  I  am  living  amongst  heathens.  I  do  not 
want  to  make  any  proselytes,  but  I  feel  a  necessity  to 
confess  this  faith." 

Katt  said  that  the  ancients  had  also  shown  much 
self-sacrifice  and  devotion.  They  also  had  the  love  of 
country,  which  had  spurred  them  on  to  great  deeds. 
He  was  convinced  that  many  people  nowadays  acted  in 

principles.  The  words  '  By  the  grace  of  God,'  which  Christian  rulers  add 
to  their  names,  are  for  me  no  mere  empty  sound.  On  the  contrary, 
I  recognise  in  them  the  confession  that  Princes  desire  to  wield  the  sceptre 
with  which  God  has  invested  them  in  accordance  with  His  WUl."  Certain 
remarks  made  by  the  Chancellor  in  his  speech  of  the  9th  of  October,  1878, 
during  the  debate  on  the  Anti-Socialist  Bill,  should  also  be  remembered 
in  this  connection.  He  said,  inter  alia:  "If  I  had  come  to  believe  as 
these  men  (the  Social  Democrats)  do — yes,  I  live  a  full  and  busy  life  and 
m  in  opulent  circumstances — but  that  would  not  be  sufficient  to  make  me 
wish  to  live  another  day  if  I  had  not,  in  the  words  of  the  poet,  '  an  Gott 
and  bessere  Zukunft  Glauben  '  (faith  in  God  and  a  better  future)." 


Sept.  29, 1870]        WNV  HE  SERVES  HIS  KING  '219 


the  same  way  through  devotion  to  the  State,  and  a 
sense  of  duty  to  society. 

The  Chief  replied  that  this  self-sacrifice  and  devo- 
tion to  duty  towards  the  State  and  the  King  amongst 
us  was  merely  a  remnant  of  the  faith  of  our  fathers  and 
grandfathers  in  an  altered  form, — "more  confused,  and 
yet  active,  no  longer  faith,  but  nevertheless  faithful." 
"  How  willingly  would  I  go  away  !  I  enjoy  country  life, 
the  woods  and  nature.  Sever  my  connection  with  God 
and  I  am  a  man  who  would  pack  up  to-morrow  and  be 

off  to  Varzin,  and  say  '  Kiss  my ,'  and  cultivate  his 

oats.  Y'ou  would  then  deprive  me  of  my  King,  because 
why? — if  there  is  no  Divine  commandment,  why  should 
I  subordinate  myself  to  these  Hohenzollerns  %  They  are 
a  Suabian  family,  no  better  than  my  own,  and  in  that 
case  no  concern  of  mine.  Why,  I  should  be  worse  than 
Jacoby,  who  might  then  be  accepted  as  President  or 
even  as  King.  He  would  be  in  many  ways  more  sen- 
sible, and  at  all  events  cheaper." 

Keudell  told  me  this  evening  that  the  Chief  had 
already,  while  standing  outside  the  chateau,  several 
times  expressed  himself  in  a  similar  manner. 

After  dinner  the  Chancellor  received  in  his  own 
salon  the  Grand  Duke  of  Weimar,  as  also  Reynier, 
and  subsequently  Burnside  and  his  companion  of  the 
day  before. 

Thursday,  September  29th. — In  the  morning  wrote 
articles  on  the  folly  of  certain  German  newspapers  that 
warned  us  against  laying  claim  to  Metz  and  the  sur- 
rounding district  because  the  inhabitants  spoke  French, 
and  on  Ducrot's  unpardonable  escape  during  the  trans- 
port of  prisoners  to  Germany.  The  second  article  was 
also  sent  to  England. 

The  newspapers  contain  a  report  on  the  prevailing 


220  BA  VARIAN  FEELING  [Sept.  29, 1870 

public  sentiment  in  Bavaria,  which  evidently  comes  from 
a  thoroughly  reliable  and  highly  competent  source.^  We 
are  accordingly  to  note  the  principal  points  contained 
therein.  The  news  given  in  the  report  is  for  the  most 
part  satisfactory — in  some  particulars  only  is  it  possible 
to  wish  it  were  better.  The  idea  of  German  unity  has 
evidently  been  strengthened  and  extended  by  the  war, 
but  the  specific  Bavarian  amour  propre  has  also  in- 
creased. The  part  taken  by  the  army  in  the  victories 
of  the  German  forces  at  Worth  and  Sedan,  as  well  as  the 
severe  losses  which  it  has  suflfered,  has  not  failed  to 
excite  enthusiasm  throughout  all  classes  of  the  popula- 
tion, and  to  fill  them  with  pride  at  the  achievements  of 
their  countrymen.  They  are  convinced  that  their  King 
sincerely  desires  the  victory  of  the  German  arms,  and 
has  used  every  efi"ort  to  secure  that  end.  His  imme- 
diate entourage  is  well  disposed.  That  cannot  however 
be  said  of  all  his  Ministers.  The  Minister  of  War  is 
without  doubt  sincerely  anxious,  and  is  doing  his  utmost 
to  see  the  campaign  brought  to  a  satisfactory  conclusion. 
He  is  in  that  respect  thoroughly  reliable,  and  he  will 
no  doubt  be  found  on  the  right  side  in  the  matter  of 
the  conditions  of  peace.  Count  Bray,  on  the  other  hand, 
is  and  remains  ultramontane  and  Austrian  in  his  views. 
In  his  heart  of  hearts  he  is  opposed  to  the  war,  and  for 
him  our  successes  have  been  too  rapid,  and  our  victories 
too  complete.  He  would  like  to  see  the  neutral  Powers 
take  steps  to  restrain  us,  and  if  he  could  he  would 
support  such  measures. 

No  conclusion  is  to  be  drawn  from  the  very  confident 
tone  of  the  press  as  to  an  eventual  rearrangement  of 

1  It  was  a  report  from  Mohl,  originally  intended,  for  his  Government 
at  Carlsruhe,  which  was  communicated  to  the  Chief,  under  whose  instruc- 
tions extracts  therefrom  were  utilised  in  the  press. 


Sept.  29,  i87o]     THE  MOVEMENT  TOWARDS  UNITY  221 

German  relations  which,  through  the  brotherhood  in 
arms  during  the  war,  might  develop  into  a  permanent 
and  closer  union  also  in  times  of  peace.  As  a  matter 
of  course  Bray  would  be  opposed  to  the  entrance  of 
Bavaria  into  the  North  German  Confederation.  But 
there  are  also  other  influential  personages  who  do  not 
contemplate  such  a  course,  or  who  regard  the  effective 
co-operation  of  the  Bavarians  in  the  German  victories 
less  as  a  means  to  promote  the  closer  union  of  Germany 
than  as  a  proof  of  the  power  of  Bavaria  and  an  asser- 
tion of  her  independence.  The  non-ultramontane 
particularists  take  up  a  somewhat  similar  position. 
They  are  pleased  at  our  victories  and  proud  of  Bavaria's 
share  in  them.  They  admire  the  manner  in  which  the 
Prussians  conduct  the  war,  and,  like  us,  they  desire  to 
secure  Germany  against  future  attack  from  the  West. 
But  they  will  not  hear  of  Bavaria  joining  the  North 
German  Confederation.  The  partition  of  the  conquered 
French  territory  is  also  much  discussed  in  such  circles. 
They  would  like  to  see  Alsace  annexed  to  Baden  on  con- 
dition that  the  Baden  Palatinate  were  ceded  to  Bavaria. 
The  more  penetrating  minds  amongst  them  are  forced  to 
reckon  with  the  probability  that  Baden,  and  in  all 
likelihood  also  Wiirtemberg,  will  after  the  peace  de- 
mand admission  into  the  Federal  State  already  formed 
by  the  North.  The  Ultramontanes  remain  what  they 
always  were,  although  they  are  now  silent  through  fear. 
Fortunately  they  have  lost  all  confidence  in  Austria,  so 
that  they  lack  support,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
Bavarians,  who  are  now  in  the  field,  have  an  entirely 
different  opinion  of  the  Prussians  to  that  which  they 
entertained  before  the  war.  They  are  full  of  the  highest 
praise  for  their  northern  comrades,  and  not  merely  for 
their  military  qualities  and  achievements,  but  also  for 


222  THE  GRAND  DUKE  OF  WEIMAR    [Sept.  30, 1870 

their  readiness  to  help  the  Bavarians  when  they  have 
earlier  or  better  supplies  than  the  latter.  More  than 
one  of  them  has  written  home  that  their  priests  have 
maligned  the  Prussians.  It  is  not  true  that  they  are  all 
Lutherans.  Many  of  them  are  Catholics,  and  they  had 
even  seen  some  Catholic  military  chaplains  with  them. 
As  the  officers  share  these  feelings  the  army  on  its 
return  will  carry  on  an  effective  propaganda  against 
Ultramontanism,  and  probably  also  against  extreme  par- 
ticularism. It  will  be  easily  understood  that  men  of 
national  sentiment  in  Bavaria  should  feel  more  confi- 
dent than  ever.  They  will  also  do  what  they  can  for 
the  cause.  But  they  are  a  minority  in  the  Lower 
Chamber,  and  in  the  Upper  House  they  have  scarcely 
two  or  three  representatives. 

At  dinner  the  conversation  turned  on  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Weimar  and  such  matters.  The  Minister  said 
that  the  Grand  Duke  had  been  to  see  him  the  evening 
before,  and  wished  to  obtain  some  information  which  he 
(the  Chief)  was  unable  to  give  him.  *'  He  thinks  that 
I  am  also  his  Chancellor.  On  my  politely  declining,  he 
said  he  must  then  apply  to  the  King.  '  Yes,'  I  replied, 
'  but  in  that  case  his  Majesty  will  have  to  refer  in  the 
first  place  to  his  Minister.'  '  And  the  Minister  % '  (Here 
the  Chief  bent  his  head  a  little  to  one  side  and  smiled 
sweetly.)     'He  will  maintain  an  impenetrable  silence.'  " 

The  Chancellor  then  said  that  he  had  been  asked  what 
was  to  be  done  with  the  Garde  Mobiles  captured  at 
Strassburg.  They  were  disposed  to  set  them  at  liberty 
and  let  them  go  home.  "  God  forbid,"  said  I ;  "  send 
them  to  Upper  Silesia." 

Friday,  September  SOth. — Eeceived  another  letter 
from  Bamberger,  who  is  in  Baden-Baden.  He  con- 
tinues to  use  his  talents  and  influence  in  the  press  to 


Oct.2,  i87o]         PREPOSTEROUS  BUSYBODIES  223 

advance  the  Chancellor's  views.  In  my  answer  I 
begged  him  to  counteract  the  ill-considered  arguments 
of  certain  German  journalists  who  now,  while  we  are 
still  at  war,  and  have  hardly  done  the  heaviest  part 
of  our  task,  are  already  strongly  urging  moderation. 
The  worst  of  these  is  Dr.  Kruse,  of  the  Kolnische 
Zeitung,  with  whom  the  idea  that  Metz  must  not  be 
annexed  because  the  inhabitants  speak  French  has 
become  almost  a  monomania.  These  gentlemen  offer 
their  advice  as  to  how  far  we  can  or  may  go  in  our 
demands,  and  plead  in  favour  of  France,  while  they 
would  do  much  better  to  insist  upon  still  heavier 
demands,  "in  order,"  as  the  Minister  said  in  com- 
plaining of  this  being  "  preposterous "  behaviour, 
"  that  we  may  at  least  get  something  decent,  if  not 
all  that  we  ask  for.  They  will  compel  me  in  the  end 
to  claim  the  Meuse  as  our  frontier.  Write  also  to 
Bamberger  that  I  had  credited  him  with  more 
political  acumen  than  to  imagine  that  we  really  want 
to  replace  Napoleon  on  the  French  throne." 

Sunday,  October  2nd. — At  teatime  to  a  remark  that 
the  poorer  classes  suffered  comparatively  more  than  the 
upper  and  wealthier,  the  Chief  replied  that  this  reminded 
him  of  Sheridan's  observation  at  Reims,  for  it  was 
perhaps  after  all  as  well  it  should  be  so,  as  there  were 
more  poor  people  than  well-to-do,  and  we  must  always 
keep  in  mind  the  object  of  the  war,  which  was  to  secure 
an  advantageous  peace.  The  more  Frenchmen  suffered 
from  the  war  the  greater  would  be  the  number  of  those 
who  would  long  for  peace,  whatever  our  conditions  might 
be.  *'  And  their  treacherous  franctireurs,"  he  continued, 
"  who  now  stand  in  blouses  with  their  hands  in  their 
pockets,  and  in  the  next  moment  when  our  soldiers  have 
passed  by  take  their  rifles  out  of  the  ditch  and  fire  at 


224  THE   YUSSUPOFFS  [Oct.  3,  1870 

them.  It  will  come  to  this,  that  we  will  shoot  down 
every  male  inhabitant.  Really  that  would  be  no  worse 
than  in  battle,  where  they  fire  at  a  distance  of  2,000 
yards,  and  cannot  recognise  each  other's  faces." 

The  conversation  then  turned  on  Russia,  on  the 
communistic  measure  of  dividing  the  land  between  the 
village  communities,  on  the  minor  nobility,  "  who  had 
invested  tlieir  savings  in  the  purchase  of  peasants,  out 
of  whom  they  squeezed  their  interest  in  the  form  of 
Obrok,"  and  of  the  incredible  wealth  of  many  of  the  old 
Boyar  families.  The  Chief  mentioned  several  examples, 
and  gave  a  full  account  of  the  YussupofFs,  whose  fortune, 
although  nearly  half  of  it  had  been  several  times  con- 
fiscated on  account  of  their  complicity  in  conspiracies, 
was  still  much  larger  than  that  of  most  German  Princes. 
It  was  so  great  that  "  two  serfs,  father  and  son,  who  had 
acted  in  succession  as  managers  of  the  estate,  were  able 
to  bleed  it  of  three  millions  without  the  loss  being  felt." 
"  The  palace  of  these  princes  in  St.  Petersburg  contained 
a  large  theatre  in  the  style  of  the  Weisser  Saal  in  the 
palace  at  Berlin,  and  had  magnificent  rooms  in  which 
300  to  400  persons  could  dine  with  comfort.  Forty 
years  ago  the  old  Yussupofi"  kept  open  table  daily.  A 
poor  old  officer  on  the  retired  list  had  dined  there  almost 
every  day  for  years,  although  no  one  knew  who  he  was. 
The  name  and  rank  of  their  constant  guest  was  only 
discovered  on  inquiries  being  made  of  the  police  when 
on  one  occasion  he  had  remained  away  for  a  consider- 
able time." 

Monday,  October  3rd. — We  were  joined  at  table  by 
the  Grand  Chamberlain,  Perponcher,  and  a  Herr  von 
Thadden,  who  was  to  be  appointed  a  member  of  the 
Administration  at  Reims.  The  Chief  told  several  anec- 
dotes of  the  old  Rothschild  of  Frankfurt.     He  had  on 


Oct.4,  i87o]  THE  ROTHSCHILDS  225 

one  occasion  heard  Rothschild  talking  to  a  corn-dealer 
who  wanted  to  buy  some  wheat.  The  latter  said  that 
such  a  rich  man  ought  not  to  put  the  price  of  wheat  so 
high.  ''  What  have  my  riches  got  to  do  with  it  ?  " 
replied  the  old  gentleman.  "  Is  my  wheat  any  the  worse 
because  I  am  rich  ? "  "  He  gave  dinners  however  which 
did  all  honour  to  his  wealth.  I  remember  once  when 
the  present  King,  then  Prince  of  Prussia,  was  in  Frank- 
fort and  I  invited  him  to  dinner.  Rothschild  had  also 
intended  to  invite  him.  The  Prince  told  him,  however, 
that  he  must  settle  that  with  me,  otherwise  he  would 
be  quite  as  pleased  to  dine  with  him  as  with  me. 
Rothschild  then  wanted  me  to  give  up  his  Royal 
Highness  to  him.  I  refused,  whereupon  he  had  the 
naivete  to  propose  that  his  dinner  should  be  brought  to 
my  house,  as  of  course  he  did  not  partake  of  it  himself 
— he  only  ate  meat  prepared  in  Jewish  fashion. 
Naturally  I  also  declined  this  proposal,  although  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  his  dinner  would  have  been  better 
than  mine."  The  Chief  was  once  told  by  old  Metternich, 
— "  who,  by  the  way,  was  very  well  disposed  towards 
me," — that  at  one  time  when  he  had  lodged  with 
Rothschild,  on  his  way  to  Johannisberg  (Metternich's 
estate),  his  host  had  put  six  bottles  of  Johannisberg 
wine  into  his  lunch  basket  for  the  road.  These  were 
taken  out  unopened  on  Metternich's  arrival  at  Johannis- 
berg, where  the  Prince  asked  his  chief  cellarer  what  they 
cost  per  bottle.  "Twelve  florins,"  was  the  answer. 
"  Well  then,"  said  Metternich,  "  send  these  six  bottles 
back  to  Baron  Rothschild  when  he  gives  his  next  order, 
but  charge  him  fifteen  florins  a  piece  for  them  then,  as 
they  will  have  grown  older  by  that  time." 

Tuesday,  October  Ath. — In  the  forenoon  again  called 
to  the  Chief  Bucher,  Councillor  of  Embassy  ;  and  Wiehr, 
VOL.    1  Q 


226  THE  EMS  DESPATCH  [Oct.  4,  1870 

a  decipherer,  arrived  after  lunch.  Bucher  appears  to 
have  been  summoned  here  in  order  to  replace  Abeken, 
who  has  been  ill  and  ought  to  have  gone  home,  but  who 
has  now  nearly  recovered.  No  one  could  have  filled  his 
place  better  than  Bucher,  who  is  unquestionably  the 
best  informed,  most  intelligent  and  unprejudiced  of  all 
the  principal  workers  by  whom  the  Chief  is  surrounded, 
and  who  help  to  propagate  his  ideas.  In  the  evening 
the  Chancellor  talked  about  Moltke,  remarking  how 
gallantly  he  had  attacked  the  punch  bowl  on  a  recent 
occasion,  and  in  what  excellent  spirits  he  was.  "  I  have 
not  seen  him  looking  so  well  for  a  long  time  past.  That 
is  the  result  of  the  war.  It  is  his  trade.  I  remember, 
when  the  Spanish  question  became  acute,  he  looked  ten 
years  younger.  Afterwards,  when  I  told  him  that  the 
Hohenzollern  had  withdrawn,  he  suddenly  looked  quite 
old  and  infirm.  And  when  the  French  showed  their 
teeth  again  '  Molk '  was  once  more  fresh  and  young. 
The  matter  finally  ended  in  a  diner  a  trois — Molk, 
Boon  and  I — which  resulted  (here  the  Chancellor  smiled 
a  cunning  smile)  in  the  Ems  telegram." 

We  start  early  to-morrow  morning,  as  we  have  a  long 
journey  to  make.     Our  next  halt  will  be  at  Versailles. 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE    JOURNEY    TO    VERSAILLES — MADAME    JESSE's     HOUSE, 
AND   OUR    LIFE    THERE 

AVe  left  Ferrieres  about  7  o'clock  on  the  morning  of 
the  5th  of  October.  At  first  we  drove  along  by-roads, 
which  were  however  in  excellent  condition,  passing  a 
large  wood,  several  parks  and  chateaux  and  a  number  of 
respectable  villages  that  appeared  to  be  entirely  deserted 
by  their  inhabitants  and  were  now  occupied  solely  by 
German  soldiers.  Everywhere  an  appearance  of  excep- 
tional prosperity.  Later  on  we  reached  a  pontoon 
bridge  decorated  with  the  Prussian  colours,  which  took 
us  over  the  Seine.  On  the  other  side  we  met  the 
Crown  Prince  and  his  suite,  who  had  ridden  out  to 
welcome  the  King.  The  latter,  accompanied  by  the 
Chancellor,  was  to  proceed  from  this  point  on  horseback 
to  a  review  of  troops.  We  then  drove  on  alone, 
turning  into  a  high  road  which  led  to  the  village  of 
Villeneuve  le  Roi. 

I  had  long  been  looking  forward  to  my  first  glimpse 
of  Paris.  It  was  however  cut  off  on  the  right  by  a 
rather  high  range  of  wooded  hills,  on  the  sides  of  which 
we  now  and  then  noticed  a  village  or  small  white  town. 
At  length  we  come  to  an  opening,  a  little  valley,  and 
we  observe  the  blue  outline  of  a  great  cupola — the 
Pantheon  !  Hurrah  !  we  are  at  last  outside  Paris. 

Q  2 


228  ARRIVAL  AT  VERSAILLES  [Oct.  6, 1870 

We  shortly  afterwards  turned  into  a  broad  paved 
highway  where  a  Bavarian  picket  was  stationed  to 
watch  a  road  which  crossed  it  at  this  point  and  led 
towards  Paris.  To  the  left  an  extensive  plain,  and  on 
the  right  a  continuation  of  the  chain  of  wooded  heights. 
A  white  town  half  way  up  the  slope,  then,  lower  down, 
two  other  villages,  and  we  finally  pass  through  an  iron 
gateway  partially  gilt,  traverse  some  busy  streets,  and  a 
straight  avenue  with  old  trees,  and  then  find  ourselves 
in  front  of  our  quarters  in  Versailles. 

On  the  6th  of  October,  the  day  after  our  arrival  in 
the  old  royal  town  of  France,  Keudell  remarked  that 
we  might  possibly  remain  here  for  some  three  weeks. 
Nor  did  1  think  it  improbable,  as  the  course  of  the  war 
up  to  that  time  had  accustomed  us  to  speedy  success. 
We  remained  however  five  long  months.  But,  as  will 
be  seen  later  on,  the  Minister  must  have  suspected  that 
our  stay  would  not  be  a  short  one.  For  this  reason,  and 
as  our  lodging  was  the  scene  of  very  important  events, 
a  fuller  description  of  it  will  probably  be  welcome. 

The  house  which  was  occupied  by  the  Chancellor  of 
the  Confederation  belonged  to  one  Madame  Jesse,  widow 
of  a  wealthy  cloth  manufacturer,  who  shortly  before  our 
arrival  fied  to  Picardy  with  her  two  sons,  leaving  her 
property  to  the  care  of  her  gardener  and  his  wife.  It 
is  No.  14  in  Rue  de  Provence,  which  connects  the 
Avenue  de  St.  Cloud  with  the  Boulevarde  de  la  Peine. 
The  Rue  de  Provence  is  one  of  the  quietest  in  Versailles. 
Many  of  the  houses  are  surrounded  by  gardens.  Ours 
is  a  slate-roofed  house  of  three  stories,  the  third  of  these 
being  a  garret.  From  the  entrance  in  the  courtyard  a 
flight  of  stone  steps  leads  up  to  the  hall  door.  On  the 
right  of  this  hall  is  the  principal  staircase,  and  the 
following  rooms  open  on  to  it :  the  dining-room  looking 


Oct.  6,  1870]        THE  CHANCELLOR'S  QUARTERS  i:l(^ 

out  on  the  garden,  the  salon,  a  billiard-room,  a  con- 
servatory, and  the  library  of  the  deceased  M.  Jesse. 

On  the  table  in  the  salon  stood  an  old-fashioned 
chimney  clock  with  a  fiendish  figure  in  bronze  biting 
his  thumb.  This  demon  grinned  sarcastically  at  all  the 
negotiations  which  led  to  the  treaties  with  the  South 
German  States,  the  proclamation  of  the  German 
Emperor  and  Empire,  and  afterwards  to  the  surrender 
of  Paris  and  the  preliminaries  of  peace,  all  of  which 
were  signed  in  this  salon,  thus  securing  it  a  place  in  the 
world's  history. 

The  billiard-room  was  arranged  as  an  office  for  the 
councillors,  secretaries,  and  decipherers.  In  January, 
when  there  was  a  severe  frost,  a  portion  of  the  winter 
sjarden  was  assigned  to  the  officers  on  sfuard.  The 
library  was  occupied  l^y  orderlies  and  Chancery 
attendants. 

The  principal  staircase  led  to  a  second  hall,  which 
received  a  dim  light  from  a  square  flat  window  let  into 
the  roof.  The  doors  of  the  Minister's  two  rooms  opened 
oif  this  hall.  Neither  of  them  was  more  than  ten  paces 
by  seven.  One  of  these,  the  window  of  which  opened 
on  the  garden,  served  at  the  same  time  as  study  and 
bed-chamber,  and  was  very  scantily  furnished. 

The  other  chamber,  which  was  somewhat  better 
furnished,  although  not  at  all  luxuriously,  served,  in 
addition  to  the  salon  on  the  ground  floor,  for  the  recep- 
tion of  visitors.  Durins;  the  neo;otiations  for  the 
capitulation  of  Paris  it  was  put  at  the  disposal  of  Jules 
Favre  for  his  meditations  and  correspondence. 

Count  Bismarck-Bohlen  had  a  room  to  the  left  of 
the  Chancellor's,  which  also  opened  on  the  park  and 
garden,  Abeken  having  the  opposite  room  looking  on  the 
street.     Bolsing  had  a  small  chaniber  near  the  back- 


230  THE  PARK  BEHIND  THE  HOUSE      [Oct.  6,  1870 

stairs,   while  I  was  lodged  on  the   second    floor   over 
Bohlen's  room. 

The  park  behind  the  house,  though  not  large,  was 
very  pretty,  and  there  during  the  bright  autumn  nights 
the  tall  figure  and  white  cap  of  the  Chancellor  was 
frequently  to  be  seen  passing  from  the  shade  into  the 
moonlight  as  he  slowly  strolled  about.  What  was  the 
sleepless  man  pondering  over  ?  What  ideas  were  re- 
volving through  the  mind  of  that  solitary  wanderer  ? 
What  plans  were  forming  or  ripening  in  his  brain 
during  those  still  midnight  hours  ? 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  whole  Field  Foreign  Office 
was  not  quartered  at  Madame  Jesse's.  Lothar  Bucher 
had  a  handsome  apartment  in  the  Avenue  de  Paris, 
Keudell  and  the  decipherers  were  lodged  in  a  house 
somewhat  higher  up  than  ours  in  the  Rue  de  Provence, 
and  Count  Hatzfeldt  lived  in  the  last  house  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  way.  There  was  some  talk  on 
several  occasions  of  providing  the  Chancellor  with  more 
roomy  and  better  furnished  lodgings,  but  the  matter 
went  no  further,  possibly  because  he  himself  felt  no 
great  desire  for  such  a  change,  and  perhaps  also  because 
he  liked  the  quiet  which  prevailed  in  the  compara- 
tively retired  Rue  de  Provence. 

During  the  day.  however,  this  stillness  w^as  less 
idyllic  than  many  newspaper  correspondents  described 
it  at  the  time.  I  am  not  thinking  of  the  fifes  and 
drums  of  the  troops  that  marched  through  the  town 
and  which  reached  our  ears  almost  daily,  nor  of  the 
noise  which  resulted  from  two  sorties  made  by  the 
Parisians  in  our  direction,  nor  even  of  the  hottest  day 
of  the  bombardment,  as  we  had  become  accustomed  to 
all  that,  much  as  the  miller  does  to  the  roar  and  rattle 
of   his   wheels,     I    refer   principally   to  the  nuraerous 


Oct.6,  i87o]  THE  CHANCELLOR'S  VISITORS  231 

visitors  of  all  kinds,  many   of  them  unwelcome,  who 
were  received  by  the  Chancellor  during  those  eventful 
months.     Our  quarters  was  often  like  a  pigeon  house 
from  the  constant  flow  of  strangers  and  acquaintances 
in   and   out.     At   first   non-ofiicial    eavesdroppers    and 
messengers  came  from  Paris,  followed  later  by  official 
negotiators  in  the  persons  of  Favre  and  Thiers,  accom- 
panied by  a  larger    or   smaller   retinue.     There    were 
princely  visitors  from  the  Hotel  des  Reservoirs.     The 
Crown  Prince  came  several  times,  and  the  King  once. 
The  Church  was  also  represented  amongst  the  callers 
by  high    dignitaries,  archbishops,   and    other   prelates. 
Deputations    from     the     Reichstag,    individual    party 
leaders,    higher    officials,    and    bankers    arrived    from 
Berlin,  while  Ministers  came  from  Bavaria  and   other 
South  German   States  for   the   purpose  of  concluding 
treaties.     American  generals,   members  of  the  foreign 
diplomatic  body  in  Paris,  including  a  "coloured  gentle- 
man," and  envoys  of  the  Imperialist  party  wished  to  speak 
to  the  busy  statesman  in  his  small  room  upstairs,  and, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  English  newspaper  correspondents 
eagerly  tried  to  force  their  way  into  his  presence.     Then 
there  were   Government  couriers  with  their  despatch 
bags.  Chancery  attendants  with  telegrams,  orderlies  with 
messages  from  the  general  staff,  and  besides  all  these  a 
superfluity  of  work  which  was   as    difficult  as  it  was 
important.     In    short,  what  with   deliberating  on  old 
schemes  and  forming  new  ones,  seeking  how  to  over- 
come difficulties,  vexation  and  trouble,  the  disappoint- 
ment of  well-grounded  expectations,  now  and  then  a 
lack  of  support  and   readiness  to  meet  his  views,  the 
foolish  opinions  of  the  Berlin  press  and  their  dissatis- 
faction   notwithstanding    our     undreamt    of     success, 
together  with  the  agitation  of  the  Ultramontranes,  it 


232  THE  CHANCELLOR'S  GUESTS         [Oct. 6,  1870 

was  often  hard  to  understand  how  the  Chancellor,  with 
all  these  calls  upon  his  activity  and  patience,  and  with 
all  this  disturbance  and  friction,  was,  on  the  whole,  able 
to  preserve  his  health  and  maintain  that  freshness  which 
he  showed  so  frequently  late  in  the  evening  in  con- 
versations both  serious  and  humorous.  During  his 
stay  at  Versailles  he  was  only  once  or  twice  unwell  for 
three  or  four  days. 

The  Minister  allowed  himself  little  recreation — a 
ride  between  3  and  4  o'clock,  an  hour  at  table  with  half 
an  hour  for  the  cup  of  coffee  which  followed  it  in  the 
drawing-room,  and  now  and  then,  after  10  p.m.,  a 
longer  or  shorter  chat  at  the  tea  table  with  whoever 
happened  to  be  there,  and  a  couple  of  hours  sleep  after 
daybreak.  The  whole  remainder  of  the  day  was  devoted 
to  business,  studying  or  writing  in  his  room,  or  in  con- 
versations and  negotiations, — unless  a  sortie  of  the 
French  or  some  other  important  military  operation 
called  him  to  the  side  of  the  King,  or  alone  to  some  post 
of  observation. 

Nearly  every  day  the  Chancellor  had  guests  to 
dinner,  and  in  this  way  we  came  to  see  and  hear  almost 
all  the  well-known  and  celebrated  men  prominently 
connected  in  the  war.  Favre  repeatedly  dined  with  us, 
reluctantly  at  first,  "  because  his  countrymen  within  the 
walls  were  starving,"  but  afterwards  listening  to  wise 
counsel  and  exhortation  and  doing  justice  like  the  rest 
of  us  to  the  good  things  of  the  kitchen  and  cellar. 
Thiers,  with  his  keen  intelligent  features,  was  on  one 
occasion  amongst  the  guests,  and  the  Crown  Prince  once 
did  us  the  honour  to  dine  at  our  table,  when  such  of  the 
Chiefs  assistants  as  were  not  previously  known  to  him 
were  presented.  At  another  time  Prince  Albrecht  was 
present.      Of  the  Minister's  further  guests,  I  will  here 


Oct.  6,  1870]  MADAME  JESSE  233 

only  mention  Delbriick,  President  of  the  Bundeskanz- 
leiamt,  who  was  frequently  in  Versailles  for  weeks 
at  a  time,  the  Duke  of  Ratibor,  Prince  Putbus,  von 
Bennigsen,  Simson,  Bamberger,  Friedenthal  and  von 
Blankenburg,  the  Bavarian  Ministers  Count  Bray  and 
von  Lutz,  the  Wlirtemberg  Ministers  von  Wachter  and 
Mittnacht,  von  Roggenbach,  Prince  Radziwill,  and  finally 
Odo  Russell,  who  was  subsequently  British  Ambassador 
to  the  German  Empire.  When  the  Chief  was  present 
the  conversation  was  always  lively  and  varied,  while  it 
was  frequently  instructive  as  illustrating  his  manner  of 
regarding  men  and  things,  or  as  throwing  light  upon 
certain  episodes  and  incidents  of  his  past  life. 

Madame  Jesse  put  in  an  appearance  a  few  days  before 
our  departure  and,  as  previously  observed,  did  not  pro- 
duce a  good  impression.  She  seems  to  have  made 
charges  against  us  which  the  French  press,  even  papers 
that  lay  claim  to  some  respectability,  circulated  with 
manifest  pleasure.  Amongst  other  things  we  are 
alleged  to  have  packed  up  her  plate  and  table  linen. 
Furthermore,  Count  Bismarck  tried  to  compel  her  to 
give  him  a  valuable  clock. 

The  first  assertion  was  simply  an  absurdity,  as  there 
was  no  silver  in  the  house,  unless  it  was  in  a  corner  of 
the  cellar  which  was  walled  up,  and  which — on  the 
express  directions  of  the  Chief — was  left  unopened.  The 
true  story  about  the  clock  was  quite  different  to  that 
circulated  by  Madame  Jesse.  The  article  in  question 
was  the  timepiece  in  the  drawing-room  with  the  small 
bronze  demon.  Madame  Jesse  off'ered  the  Chancellor  this 
piece  of  furniture,  which  in  itself  was  of  comparatively 
little  value,  at  an  exorbitant  price,  on  the  assumption  that 
he  prized  it  as  a  witness  to  the  important  negotiations 
that  had  taken  place  in  her  room.     I  believe  she  asked 


234  THE  STORY  OF  THE  CLOCK  [Oct.  6,  1870 

5,000  francs  for  it.  But  she  overreached  herself,  and 
her  offer  was  declined.  "  I  remember,"  said  the  Minister 
afterwards  in  Berlin,  "  observing  at  the  time  that 
possibly  the  impish  figure  on  the  clock,  which  made  such 
faces,  might  be  particularly  dear  to  her  as  a  family 
portrait,  and  that  I  should  be  sorry  to  deprive  her  of  it," 


CHAPTER  X 


AUTUMN   DAYS   AT   VERSAILLES 


The  day  after  our  arrival  at  Versailles  I  forwarded  the 
following  statement  with  regard  to  the  measures  taken 
against  Jacoby,  in  accordance  with  the  Chiefs  views. 
It  was  an  answer  to  the  protests  which  had  been  made 
by  the  German  press  against  his  arrest,  and  not  merely 
by  the  democratic  and  the  progressist  organs,  which  in- 
variably criticise  political  and  military  affairs  from 
the  standpoint  of  private  morals. 

"  We  still  hear  a  great  deal  about  the  alleged 
illegality  committed  in  arresting  Jacoby.  That  measure 
might  have  been  inopportune  ;  perhaps  less  importance 
might  have  been  attached  to  his  demonstrations.  But 
there  was  nothing  illegal  in  the  course  adopted,  as  we 
are  now  in  a  state  of  war,  when  the  civil  code  must  yield 
to  military  necessity.  The  imprisonment  of  Jacoby 
falls  within  the  military  jurisdiction,  with  which  the 
police  and  the  judicial  authorities  have  nothing  to  do. 
It  is  in  no  sense  to  be  regarded  as  a  punishment.  Jacoby 
is  simply  a  prisoner  of  war,  just  as  would  be  a  spy 
arrested  in  Germany,  with  whom  of  course  we  do  not 
wish  otherwise  to  compare  him.  In  other  words,  he 
was  one  of  the  forces  that  increased  the  difficulty  of 


236  JACOSrS  ARREST  [Oct.  6,  1870 

attaining  the  object  of  the  war,  and  had  accordingly  to 
be  rendered  harmless. 

"This  wiU  be  made  clear  by  a  glance  at  the 
numerous  instances  in  which  those  entrusted  with  the 
conduct  of  war  are  obliged  to  over-ride  the  rights  of 
person  and  property  recognised  by  the  Constitution. 
For  purposes  of  successful  defence  private  property 
may  be  destroyed  without  previously  arranging  the 
terms  of  compensation,  houses  may  be  burned  and  trees 
cut  down,  an  entrance  may  be  forced  into  private 
residences,  street  traffic  may  be  stopped  and  every  other 
means  of  transport  such  as  ships,  carts,  &c.,  can  be 
either  seized  or  destroyed  without  the  previous  per- 
mission of  the  owner,  that  rule  applying  to  our  own 
as  well  as  to  the  enemy's  country.  The  removal  of 
persons  who  afford  the  enemy  either  moral  or  material 
support,  or  who  merely  give  rise  to  suspicion  that  they 
do  so,  comes  under  the  same  category  of  laws  which 
apply  to  countries  in  a  state  of  war. 

"  These  principles  are  not  contested  in  so  far  as 
they  are  applicable  to  the  immediate  seat  of  war.  The 
idea  upon  which  they  are  based  is  not,  however, 
affected  by  the  locality.  Those  who  wield  the  power 
of  the  State  must  exercise  the  rights  and  fulfil  the 
duties  accorded  to  and  imposed  upon  them  for  the 
purpose  of  securing  the  object  of  the  war,  without 
regard  to  the  distance  from  the  actual  scene  of  warfare 
of  the  obstacles  which  require  removal.  They  are 
bound  to  prevent  the  occurrence  of  such  incidents  as 
render  the  attainment  of  peace  less  easy.  We  are 
now  carrying  on  a  war  for  the  purpose  of  enforcing 
conditions  which  will  hinder  the  enemy  from  attacking 
us  in  future.  Our  opponents  resist  these  conditions 
and   will   be  greatly  encouraged    and    strengthened  iu 


Oct.6,  i87o]  WAR  PROSPECTS  237 

their  resistance  by  a  declaration  on  tlie  part  of  Germans 
that  these  conditions  are  inexpedient  and  unjust.  The 
Brunswick  working  class  manifesto  and  the  Konigsberg 
resolution  have  been  utilised  to  the  utmost  by  the 
French  press  and  have  obviously  confirmed  the  Ee- 
publicans  now  holding  power  in  Paris  in  the  idea  that 
they  are  right  in  rejecting  those  conditions.  These 
French  Republicans  measure  the  influence  of  their 
German  sympathisers  on  the  Governments  of  Germany 
by  the  standard  of  their  own  experience.  The  im- 
pression which  those  demonstrations  at  Brunswick  and 
Konigsberg  produced  in  Germany  was  probably  little  ; 
but  the  point  is,  what  effect  did  they  have  in  Paris  ? 
The  effect  there  is  such  that  similar  demonstrations 
must  be  rendered  impossible  in  future,  and  their  in- 
stigator must  accordingly  be  put  out  of  harm's  way." 

In  the  morning  Keudell  said  to  me  we  might  remain 
in  Versailles  for  about  three  weeks.  Metz  would 
soon  be  obliged  to  capitulate,  as  they  now  had 
only  horseflesh  to  eat  and  no  salt.  They  were  still 
confident  in  Paris,  although  there  was  great  mortality 
amongst  their  cattle,  which  were  fed  on  compressed  food. 
Burnside,  who  had  been  in  the  city,  confirmed  this  news. 
The  Minister  was  less  sanguine.  The  question  of 
uniforms  for  the  secretaries  was  again  brought  up,  and 
in  this  connection  the  Chief  remarked  that  the  war 
might  yet  continue  for  a  considerable  time,  perhaps  till 
Christmas,  possibly  till  Easter,  and  probably  a  portion 
of  the  troops  would  remain  in  France  for  years  to  come. 
Paris  should  have  been  immediately  stormed  on  the 
19th  of  September,  or  left  entirely  on  one  side.  He 
then  told  his  valet  to  send  to  Berlin  for  his  fur  coats. 

In  the  further  course  of  conversation  the  Minister 
said  :   "I  heard  something  really  characteristic  to-day. 


ROYAL  LOAFERS  [Oct.  6,  1870 


The  host  of  Princes  who  have  followed  us  and  who  are 
lodging  at  the  Hotel  des  Reservoirs  are  living  at  the 
expense  of  the  town  !  They  let  the  municipality  feed 
them,  though  they  have  merely  come  out  of  curiosity, 
and  are  nothing  more  than  distinguished  loafers.  It  is 
particularly  shabby  of  the  Duke  of  Coburg,  who  is  a 
rich  man,  with  an  annual  revenue  of  a  million  thalers. 
Such  a  piece  of  meanness  ought  to  be  noticed  in  the 
press.  It  is  shameful  for  a  Prince  to  allow  himself  to 
be  fed  by  a  town  already  so  impoverished."  The  Chief 
again  returned  to  this  subject  a  little  later,  "  The  royal 
household  is  a  very  comprehensive  conception,  and  so  it 
is  impossible  to  object  to  these  gentlemen  being  fed. 
The  King  pays  for  the  Crown  Prince,  and  the  Crown 
Prince  for  the  other  princely  personages.  But  it  is 
mean  of  the  latter  to  help  to  suck  the  town  dry,  and 
the  newspapers  should  not  overlook  it." 

I  afterwards  asked  the  Minister,  who  was  alone  with 
me  in  the  drawing-room,  where  he  remained  behind  after 
taking  a  cup  of  coffee,  whether  I  should  send  the  press 
particulars  of  the  not  very  gentlemanly  conduct  of  the 
Princes.  "  Certainly,  why  not  ?  "  he  replied  ;  "  and  you 
can  also  give  the  name  of  the  Coburger — not  in  our 
own  papers,  however."  The  bolt  was  accordingly  des- 
patched to  Metzler,  of  the  Foreign  Office  in  Berlin,  who 
was  to  pass  it  on  to  the  Kolnische  Zeitung. 

"  An  Englishman  at  the  headquarters  at  Meaux " 
wrote  to  the  Daily  Telegraph  that  the  Chief  on  the 
conclusion  of  his  interview  with  Malet  said  :  "  What 
gives  myself  and  the  King  most  anxiety  is  the  influence 
of  a  French  Republic  in  Germany.  We  are  very  well 
aware  how  American  Republicanism  has  reacted  upon 
Germany,  and  if  the  French  oppose  us  with  a  republican 
propaganda  it  will  do  us  more  harm  than  their  armies." 


Oct.  7, 1870]      THE  GREEK   MINISTER  IN  PARIS  239 

The  Minister  wTote  on  the  margin  of  this  statement : 
"  An  absurd  lie." 

Friday,  October  7th. — Hatzfelclt  informed  us  at 
lunch  that  the  Greek  Minister  in  Paris,  with  a 
"  family  "  of  twenty-four  or  twenty -five  persons,  has 
come  out  to  us  on  his  way  to  Tours  to  join  the 
delegation  of  the  Government  of  National  Defence. 
His  boy  told  the  Count  that  he  did  not  at  all  like 
Paris.     They  got  too  little  meat  to  eat  there. 

Prepared  an  article  for  the  press  from  the  following 
sketch  :  "  We  are  carrying  on  war,  not  with  a  view  to 
a  permanent  occupation  of  France,  but  to  secure  a  peace 
on  the  conditions  which  we  have  laid  down.  For  that 
reason  we  desire  to  negotiate  with  a  Government  which 
represents  the  will  of  France,  and  whose  declarations 
and  concessions  will  bind  France  as  well  as  ourselves. 
The  present  Government  has  not  that  character.  It 
must  be  confirmed  by  a  National  Assembly,  or  replaced 
by  another  Government.  A  general  election  is  necessary 
for  that  purpose ;  and  we  are  quite  prepared  to  permit 
this  to  take  place  in  those  parts  of  the  country  which 
we  occujDy,  so  far  as  strategic  considerations  will  allow. 
The  present  holders  of  power  in  Paris,  however,  have  no 
disposition  to  adopt  this  course.  For  personal  consider- 
ations they  injure  the  interests  of  the  country  by 
inflicting  upon  it  a  continuance  of  the  evils  of  war." 

Hatzfeldt  complained  at  dinner  that  the  Greeks,  who 
are  anxious  to  get  away,  pestered  him  with  their  lamen- 
tations. "Yes,"  said  the  Chief,  "they  too  must  be 
regarded  with  suspicion.  They  must  first  be  identified 
according  to  their  descriptions,  and  it  must  then  be 
seen  whether  they  have  been  properly  circumcised. 
But  no,  that  is  not  customary  among  the  Greeks. 
What  seems  to  me,  however,  more  suspicious  even  than 


240  THE  MAYOR  OF  VERSAILLES         [Oct.  7, 1870 

this  enormous  diplomatic  family,  is  Wittgenstein,  who 
comes  out  at  the  risk  of  his  life  on  pretence  of  having 
despatches  for  me,  and  who  afterwards  turns  out  to 
have  none.  I  wonder  do  they  fancy  that  we  shall 
tolerate  this  running  to  and  fro  between  Paris  and 
Kutusow  ? " 

'•'  But,"  said  Hatzfeldt,  "  he  might  be  able  to  bring 
us  news  from  the  city." 

The  Chief :  "  For  that  purpose  he  should  bear  a 
character  that  inspires  confidence,  and  that  he  does 
not  do." 

The  conversation  then  turned  on  the  exhausted  con- 
dition of  the  town  of  Versailles,  which  has  had  heavy 
expenses  to  bear  during  the  last  fortnight.  The  new 
Mayor,  a  M.  Kameau,  was  granted  an  audience  with  the 
Chief  to-day.  Eeferring  to  this  the  Minister  said  :  "  I 
told  him  that  they  should  raise  a  loan.  '  Yes,'  he 
replied,  '  that  would  be  possible,  but  then  he  must  ask 
permission  to  go  to  Tours,  as  he  required  the  authority 
of  his  Government  for  such  a  measure.'  Of  course  I 
could  not  promise  him  that,  and  besides  they  would 
hardly  give  him  the  necessary  authority  there.  Probably 
they  think  at  Tours  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Versailles 
people  to  starve  in  order  that  we  may  be  starved  with 
them.  But  they  forget  that  we  are  the  stronger  and 
take  what  we  want.  They  have  absolutely  no  idea 
what  war  is." 

A  reference  to  the  neighbourhood  between  the 
palace  and  the  Hotel  des  Keservoirs  brought  up  the 
subject  of  the  distinguished  guests  who  are  staying  at 
the  latter  house.  Amongst  other  remarks  upon  the 
"  troop  of  princes,"  the  Chancellor  said  :  "  They  have 
nothing  decent  to  eat  at  that  hotel,  possibly  because  the 
people  think  their  highnesses  wish  to  have  it  gn-.tis." 


Oct.  9,  1870]  RELIGIOUS   TOLERANCE  241 

Finally  some  one  broached  the  question  of  tolerance, 
and  at  first  the  Chancellor  expressed  himself  much  in 
the  same  sense  as  he  had  done  at  St.  Avoid.  He  de- 
clared in  decided  terms  for  tolerance  in  matters  of  faith. 
"  But,"  he  added,  "  the  Freethinkers  are  also  not  tolerant. 
They  persecute  believers,  not  indeed  with  the  stake, 
since  that  is  impossible,  but  with  insult  and  mockery 
in  the  press.  Amongst  the  people,  so"  far  as  they  are 
non-believers,  there  has  also  not  been  much  progress. 
What  pleasure  it  would  afford  them  to  see  Pastor  Knack 
hanged  ! " 

Somebody  having  mentioned  that  early  Protestant- 
ism had  shown  no  tolerance,  Buclier  called  attention  to 
the  fact  that,  according  to  Buckle,  the  Huguenots  were 
zealous  reactionaries,  as  was,  indeed,  the  case  with  all 
the  reformers  of  that  period.  "  They  were  not  exactly 
reactionaries,"  replied  the  Chief,  "  but  petty  tyrants — 
each  parson  was  a  small  Pope."  He  then  referred  to 
the  course  taken  by  Calvin  against  Servetus,  and  added 
"Luther  was  just  the  same."  I  ventured  to  recall 
Luther's  treatment  of  the  followers  of  Karlstadt  and 
Munzer,  as  well  as  the  case  of  the  Wittenberg  theolo- 
gians after  him,  and  Chancellor  Krell.  Bucher  related 
that  towards  the  end  of  the  last  century  the  Scottish 
Presbyterians  punished  a  person  for  merely  lending 
Thomas  Paine's  Rights  of  Man  with  twenty-one  years' 
transportation,  the  offender  being  immediately  cast  into 
chains.  I  pointed  to  the  rigid  intolerance  of  the  New 
England  States  towards  the  members  of  other  religious 
communions  and  to  their  tyrannical  liquor  law.  "  And 
the  Sabbath-keeping,"  said  the  Chief,  "  that  is  a  horrible 
tyranny."  I  remember  the  first  time  I  went  to  England 
on  landing  at  Hull  I  whistled  in  the  street.  An 
Englishman,  whose  acquaintance  I  had  made  on  board 

VOL.  I  R 


242  THE  BRITISH  SABBATH  [Oct.  9,  1870 

said  to  me,  "  Pray,  sir,  don't  whistle  ! "  I  asked  "  Why 
not?  is  it  forbidden  here?"  "No,"  he  said,  "but  it 
is  the  Sabbath."  That  made  me  so  angry  that  I  imme- 
diately took  a  ticket  on  another  steamer  for  Edinburgh, 
as  it  did  not  at  all  suit  me  not  to  be  able  to  whistle 
when  I  had  a  mind  to."  Bucher  remarked  that  in 
general  the  Sunday  in  England  was  not  so  bad.  He 
himself  had  always  greatly  enjoyed  the  stillness  after 
the  rush  and  roar  of  the  working  day  in  London,  where 
the  noise  began  early  in  the  morning.  The  Chancellor 
then  continued  :  "In  other  respects  I  am  not  at  all 
opposed  to  keeping  the  Sabbath  holy.  On  the  contrary, 
as  a  landed  proprietor,  I  promote  it  as  much  as  possible. 
Only  I  will  not  force  the  people.  Every  one  must  know 
best  for  himself  how  to  prepare  for  the  future  life.  No 
work  should  be  done  on  Sunday,  because  it  is  wrong  as 
being  a  breach  of  the  Divine  commandment,  and  unfair 
to  man,  who  requires  rest.  That  of  course  does  not 
apply  to  the  service  of  the  State  and  in  particular  to 
the  diplomatic  service,  in  which  despatches  and  tele- 
grams are  delivered  on  Sundays  which  must  be  dealt 
with  at  once.  There  can  also  be  no  objection  to  our 
country  people  saving  their  hay  or  corn  on  a  fine 
Sunday  after  a  long  spell  of  bad  weather.     I  could  not 

bring  myself  to  coerce  my  farmers  in  those  things 

I  can  afford  to  do  as  I  think  right  myself,  as  the  damage 
done  by  a  possible  rainy  Monday  would  not  affect  me. 
Our  landed  proprietors  consider  that  it  is  not  respect- 
able to  allow  their  people  to  work  on  Sunday  even  in 
such  an  emergency  !  "  I  mentioned  that  pious  families 
in  America  do  not  even  cook  on  the  Sabbath,  and  that 
on  being  once  invited  to  dinner  in  New  York  on  a 
Sunday  there  was  only  cold  meat  on  the  table.  "  In 
Frankfurt,"  said  the  Chief,  "when  I  had  more  liberty 


Oct.  9,  iSyo]  THIRTEEN  AT  TABLE  243 

we  always  dined  very  simply  on  Sundays,  and  I  never 
ordered  the  carriage  out  on  account  of  the  servants." 
I  ventured  to  remark  that  in  Leipzig  all  shops  were 
closed  on  Sunday,  with  the  exception  of  the  bakers'  and 
some  tobacconists.  "  Yes,  that  is  as  it  should  be  ;  but 
I  do  not  want  to  put  pressure  on  anybody.  I  might 
possibly  do  it  in  the  country  by  not  buying  from  a 
tradesman — that  is  if  his  goods  were  not  of  exception- 
ally high  quality,  for  then  I  do  not  know  whether 
I  should  be  able  to  stand  firm.  Care  should  be  taken, 
however,  that  noisy  trades,  such  as  that  of  the  black- 
smith, should  not  be  carried  on  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  a  church  on  Sunday." 

I  was  summoned  to  the  Minister  in  the  evening. 
"  Thile  ^  writes  to  me,"  he  said,  "  that  the  Norddeutsche 
Allgemeine  Zeitung  has  a  terrible  article  against  the 
Catholics.  Is  it  by  you  ? "  "I  do  not  know  which  he 
alludes  to,  as  I  have  recently  called  attention  on  several 
occasions  to  the  proceedings  of  the  Ultramontanes."  He 
then  searched  for  the  extract,  which  he  read  over  half 
aloud.  "  But  that  is  perfectly  true  and  correct.  Yes, 
that's  quite  right.  Our  good  Thile  has  been  thoroughly 
taken  in  by  Savigny.  He  has  gone  out  of  his  wits  and 
howls  because  we  have  not  rescued  the  Pope  and  his 
whole  family." 

We  were  thirteen  at  table  to-day,  Dr.  Lauer  being 
one  of  the  number.  I  pointed  this  out  to  Bucher,  who 
sat  near  me.  "  Don't  speak  so  loud,"  he  replied.  "  The 
Chief  has  a  very  sharp  ear,  and  he  is  superstitious  on 
that  point."  ^ 

1  At  that  time  Secretary  of  State  in  the  Foreign  Office.  He  was  not 
a  Catholic. 

2  Bucher  afterwards  told  me  that  the  Chancellor  was  affected  both  by 
the  superstition  respecting  the  number  thirteen  and  that  relating  to  Fri- 
day.    Other  diplomats,  as,  for  instance,  the  French,  seem  to  entertain 

R  2 


244  "  THE    TIMES''  [Oct.  lo,  1870 

Monday,  October  10th. — Called  to  the  Chief  twice 
during  the  morning.  He  went  subsequently  to  the 
Crown  Prince's  quarters,  where  he  remained  for 
lunch. 

The  conversation  at  dinner  at  first  turned  on  the 
interview  of  the  King  with  Napoleon  at  Bellevue,  near 
Sedan,  respecting  which  Russell  sent  a  full  report  to  The 
Times,  although  the  two  Sovereigns  were  alone  and  the 
Chancellor  himself  was  only  aware  of  what  had  passed 
in  so  far  as  the  King  had  assured  him  that  there  had 
been  absolutely  no  reference  to  politics.  "  As  a  matter 
of  fact,"  said  the  Chancellor,  "it  would  not  have  been 
nice  of  '  our  Most  Gracious '  to  have  maintained  silence 
only  towards  his  Ministers.  Russell  must  unquestion- 
al)ly  have  received  his  news  from  the  Crown  Prince." 

I  now  forgot  how  and  by  whom  the  subject  of 
dangerous  touring  expeditions  was  introduced,  but  the 
Minister  himself  related  some  daring  enterprises  of  his 
own.  "I  remember,"  he  said,  "being  once  with  a 
party,  amongst  whom  were  the  Orloffs,  in  South  France, 
near  the  Pont  du  Card.  An  old  Roman  aqueduct  of 
several  stories  crossed  the  valley.      Princess  Orloff,  a 

the  same  objection  both  to  the  number  and  the  day.  The  following 
anecdote,  which  I  was  assured  was  perfectly  genuine,  may  serve  as  an 
example.  After  the  negotiations  respecting  the  duty  payable  by  ships 
passing  through  the  Sound  had  been  completed,  it  was  arranged  that  the 
treaty  containing  the  terms  agreed  upon  should  be  signed  at  Copenhagen 
on  the  13th  of  March,  1587.  It  turned  out  that  the  day  thus  chosen  was 
not  only  the  thirteenth  of  the  month,  but  was  also  a  Friday,  and  that 
there  were  thirteen  Plenipotentiaries  to  sign  the  document.  "  A  three- 
fold misfortune!"  exclaimed  the  French  Ambassador  Dotezac.  To  his 
delight,  however,  the  addition  of  the  signatures  was  postponed  for  some 
days  owing  to  difficulties  occasioned  by  the  difference  in  the  rate  of 
exchange  of  Danish  and  Prussian  thalers.  The  number  of  representatives 
still  caused  him  so  much  anxiety,  however,  that  it  made  him  ill,  and  it 
was  only  on  the  decease  of  the  Hanoverian  Plenipotentiary  a  few  weeks 
later  that  the  French  Ambassador  and  the  other  signatories  of  the  treaty 
felt  that  they  were  no  longer  in  danger  of  sudden  death. 


Oct.  lo,  1870]        A    SLEDGE-HAMMER  STYLE  245 

very  spirited  lady,  proposed  that  we  should  go  across 
over  it.  There  was  a  very  narrow  path,  about  a  foot 
and  a  half  wide,  along  one  side  of  the  old  water  channel, 
and  on  the  other  side  a  wall  of  big  slabs  of  stone.  It 
looked  a  very  hazardous  undertaking,  but  I  could  not 
allow  myself  to  be  beaten  by  a  woman.  We  two 
accordingly  started  on  this  enterprise,  Orloff  going  with 
the  rest  of  the  company  down  by  the  valley.  For  some 
time  we  walked  on  all  right  along  the  stone  wall,  from 
which  we  could  see  a  depth  of  several  hundred  feet 
beneath  us.  Further  on,  however,  the  stones  had  fallen 
off  and  we  had  to  pick  our  way  along  the  narrow  ledge. 
Then  we  came  to  another  stretch  of  relatively  easy 
going,  but  after  there  was  another  very  bad  bit  oh  an 
unsafe  ledge.  Screwing  up  my  courage  I  stepped  out 
quickly  after  the  Princess,  and  grasping  her  with  one 
arm,  jumped  down  with  her  into  the  channel  some  four 
to  five  feet  deep.  Our  companions  below,  who  had 
suddenly  lost  sight  of  us,  were  in  the  greatest  anxiety 
until  at  length  we  came  out  on  the  other  side." 

In  the  evening  I  was  called  to  the  Chief  to  receive 
instructions  respecting  Garibaldi,  who,  according  to  a 
telegram  from  Tours,  had  arrived  there  and  offered  his 
services  to  the  French  Republic.  The  Chancellor  said  : 
"  But  just  tell  me  why  you  sometimes  write  in  such  a 
sledge-hammer  style  ?  It  is  true  I  have  not  seen  the 
text  of  your  telegram  about  Russell,  but  your  recent 
article  on  the  Ultramontanes  in  the  Norddeutsche  All- 
gemeine  Zeitimg  was  very  strongly  worded.  Surely  the 
Saxons  are  usually  regarded  as  a  very  polite  race,  and 
if  you  have  any  ambition  to  become  Court  Historian  to 
the  Foreign  Office,  you  must  not  be  so  violent."  I 
ventured  to  reply  that  I  could  also  be  polite,  and  was 
capable  of  irony  without  rudeness.     "  Well,  then,"  he 


246  ULTRAMONTANISM  [Oct.  12,  1870 

said,  "  be  polite  but  without  irony.  Write  diplomatically. 
Even  in  a  declaration  of  war  one  observes  the  rules  of 
politeness." 

Tuesday,  October  llth. — It  appears  from  the  con- 
versation at  dinner  that  an  assembly  of  a  congress  of 
German  Princes  at  Versailles  has  been  for  some  time 
past  under  consideration.  It  is  hoped  that  the  King  of 
Bavaria  will  also  come.  In  that  case  Delbriick  thinks 
"  it  would  be  well  to  place  at  his  disposal  one  of  the 
historic  apartments  in  the  palace — possibly  the  bedroom 
of  Louis  XIV.  With  his  character  he  would  be  certainly 
delighted  at  such  an  arrangement,  and  would  not  be  too 
exacting  in  the  matter  of  comfort."  The  Chief  dined 
to-day  with  the  Crown  Prince,  and  did  not  return  until 
10  o'clock,  when  he  had  an  interview  with  Burnside. 

Wednesday,  October  12th. — Amongst  other  things  I 
wrote  to-day  another  article  on  the  hostile  attitude 
assumed  by  the  Ultramontanes  towards  us  in  this  war. 

It  was  directed  against  the  Schlesische  Haus- Blatter, 
and  concluded  as  follows :  "  We  should  have  thought 
that  it  was  impossible  at  this  time  of  day  to  be  mis- 
understood   in    using    the   terms    '  ultramontane '    and 
'  ultramontanism.'      We     should    have     thought    that 
honest  Catholics  would  as  clearly  understood  what  was 
meant  thereby  as  do  other  Christians,  and  that  as  honest 
Catholics  they  could  not  possibly  take  offence  at  stric- 
tures upon  ultramontane  agitation  and  attacks.     Acting 
on  this  supposition,  we  called  attention  to  the  resistance 
offered    by   that   party  to    the  latest   development   of 
German  affairs.     To  our  great  astonishment,  however, 
we  learn  through  a  Silesian  journal  that  our  article,  in 
which    the   party  in  question  was  described   as  ultra- 
montane, has  actually  given  offence,  and  been  regarded 
as  a  censure   and   impeachment  of  Catholicism  itself. 


Oct.  12,  1870]    THE  FRENCH  CLERGY  AND    THE    WAR    247 

We  deprecate  any  such  interpretation  of  our  meaning. 
Nothing  was  more  remote  from  our  intention.  From 
our  standpoint  Ultramontanism  has  just  as  little  in 
common  with  the  faith  of  the  Catholic  Church  as 
Atheism  and  Nihilism  have  with  the  Protestant  Church. 
Ultramontanism  is  of  a  purely  political  character.  It 
is  the  sj)irit  of  a  sect  with  exclusively  worldly  aims, 
namely,  the  restoration  as  far  as  possible  of  universal 
empire  on  a  mediaeval  theocratic  basis.  It  does  not 
recognise  the  claims  of  patriotism,  and  it  considers  the 
end  to  justify  the  means.  In  speaking  of  the  Ultra- 
montanes  as  zealous  opponents  of  Germany  in  the 
present  war,  the  examples  which  we  gave  made  it 
sufficiently  clear  to  whom  we  referred.  For  the  purpose 
of  removing  all  doubt  on  this  point,  however,  and  to 
prevent  the  possibility  in  future  of  circles  for  whom  we 
entertain  feelings  of  respect  taking  unnecessary  offence 
at  remarks  which  were  not  intended  for  them,  we  will 
here  add  a  few  further  examples. 

"  When  we  complained  of  the  hostility  of  the  Ultra- 
montanes  we  were  thinking  of  those  French  priests  who 
were  convicted  upon  trustworthy  evidence  of  having 
fired  upon  our  soldiers.  In  repeating  these  charges  we 
have  other  priests  in  mind  who,  a  few  days  ago,  under 
the  pretext  of  bringing  the  last  consolation  to  the 
dying,  sneaked  through  our  camp  outside  Paris  as 
spies ;  and  to  the  manifesto  of  the  former  ultramontane 
deputy,  Keller,  an  Alsacian,  published  in  the  Union, 
which  declares  that  the  war  against  us  is  a  '  holy  war,' 
and  that  every  shot  fired  at  a  German  is  an  oeuvre 
sainte.  We  imagine  that  after  this  explanation  our 
Silesian  contemporary  will  no  longer  doubt  our  respect 
for  the  Catholic  Church,  and  will  not  itself  desire  to 
identify  the  Catholic  cause  with  those  who  thus  act  and 


248  BISMARCK  EDITS  MY  ARTICLE      [Oct.  12,  1870 


speak,  and  are  guilty  of  such  a  gross  abuse  of  the  con- 
ception of  '  holiness.' " 

On  my  submitting  the  article  to  the  Chief  he  said  : 
"  You  still  write  too  bluntly  for  me.     But  you  told  me 
that  you  were   capable  of  delicate  irony.     Here,  how- 
ever, there  is  much  more  irony  than  delicacy."     (I  had 
only  reproduced  his  own  expressions,  which,  however, 
shall  be  avoided  in  future.)     "  Write  it  all  in  a  different 
strain.      You  must  write  politically,  and  in  politics  the 
object  is  not  to  give  offence."     The  Chief  then  altered 
the  article  in  part,   the    first   paragraph  assuming  the 
following  form :    "  We  had   not  believed   that  at  this 
time  of  day  the  use  of  the  expressions  '  ultramontane ' 
and    '  ultramontanism '  could    lead    to  any    misunder- 
standing.    We  imagined  that  Catholics  had  as  clear  a 
conception    of   the   meanings   of   those   words   as   the 
members  of  other  Christian  communities,  and  that  they 
would  understand  that  no  offence  was  intended  to  them 
in  complaining  of  the  attacks   of  the   Ultramontanes. 
It   was    on    this    supposition   that   we   dealt  with   the 
opposition   of    the    party   in    question    to    the   latest 
development  of  German  affairs,   and  we  are  surprised 
to  find  that   a    Silesian   newspaper,    notorious   for   its 
violence  of  language,   has  inverted  our  meaning,  sub- 
stituting the  Catholic  Christian  world  for  the  coterie 
which   we   attacked."      The    Minister   struck   out   the 
adjective  "  zealous  "  before  "  opponents  of  Germany," 
and   also   the   following  sentence   beginning    with  the 
words  "  For  the  purpose  of  removing."     The  concluding 
passage  read  as  follows  after  the  Minister  had  corrected 
it :  "  In    complaining  of    the    Ultramontanes  we  were 
thinking,  as  we  expressly  stated,  of  the  party  of  the 
Miinchener     Volhshoten    and     similar    organs,    whose 
slanderous   jibes    stir    up    the   Germans    againsi.    each 


Oct.  12,  iSyo]         THE  SMALLER  POTENTATES  249 

other,    and    who    encouraged    the    French    to    attack 
Germany    and    are  partly   responsible  for  the  present 
war,  inasmuch  as  they  represented  French  victory  to  be 
easy  and  certain,  and  the  German  people  to  be   dis- 
united ;  we  had  in  mind  the  priests  of  Upper  Alsace 
and    the  French    priests    who   instigated    the    country 
population  to  murderous  attacks  upon  our  troops   in 
which   they  themselves  took  part ;  we  had  further  in 
view  those  priests  who  sullied  the  cloth,  sneaking  into 
our  camp  as  spies  under  pretence  of  bringing  the  last 
consolation  to  the  dying,  and  who  are  at  the  present 
moment  being  tried  by  court  martial  for  this  conduct ; 
and  we  were  also  thinking  of  a  manifesto  published  in 
the  Union  by  the  former  ultramontane  deputy,  Keller, 
an  Alsacian,  in  which  the  present  war  was  represented 
as  a  crusade,  and  every  shot  fired  at  a  German  as  an 
oeuvre  sainte.     We  imagine  that  the  Silesian  journal  in 
question   will   hardly   succeed   in    obtaining    credence 
when  it  casts  doubt  upon  our  respect  for  the   Catholic 
Church.     It  will  not  desire    to  identify  the   cause  of 
Catholicism  with  that  of  men  who   have  been   guilty 
of  such  a  wicked  abuse  of  sacred  things  and  of  genuine 
faith." 

The  Chief  dined  with  the  King  to-day,  but  after- 
wards joined  us  at  table,  where  he  complained  of  the 
way  in  which  the  smaller  potentates  worried  "  their  " 
Chancellor  with  all  sorts  of  questions  and  counsels, 
'*  until  Prince  Charles  noticed  my  appealing  glance  and 
saved  me  from  their  clutches." 

After  dinner  a  gentleman  who  has  come  from  Paris, 
supposed  to  be  a  Spanish  diplomat,  succeeded  in 
obtaining  an  interview  with  the  Chancellor,  and  re- 
mained with  him  for  a  long  time.  Like  other  gentle- 
men who   have   come    from  the    city   he   will  not   be 


2SO  BISMARCK'S  WEAKNESS  FOR  AMERICANS  [Oct.  13,  1870 

allowed  to   return.     Some  of  us  considered  the  visit 
rather  suspicious. 

Burnside  came  in  while  we  were  at  tea.  He  wishes 
to  leave  here  and  go  to  Brussels,  in  order  to  find  apart- 
ments for  his  wife,  who  is  now  at  Geneva.  He  says 
that  Sheridan  has  left  for  Switzerland  and  Italy. 
A23parently  the  Americans  can  do  nothing  further  in 
the  way  of  negotiations.  The  general  wished  to  see 
the  Chief  again  this  evening.  I  dissuaded  him, 
pointing  out  that  although,  owing  to  his  great  regard 
for  the  Americans,  the  Chancellor  would  receive  him  if 
he  were  announced,  yet  consideration  ought  to  be  paid 
to  the  heavy  pressure  upon  his  time.  This  was  quite  in 
accord  with  the  Chiefs  wishes,  as  on  my  being  sum- 
moned to  him  at  10.30  p.m.  he  said:  "As  you  know 
Burnside,  please  point  out  to  him  how  much  I  am 
occupied,  but  in  such  a  way  that  he  will  not  think  I 
have  prompted  you.  He  never  quite  finishes  what  he 
has  got  to  say,  but  alway  keeps  back  something  for 
another  time.  It  is  only  fair  that  he  should  know  how 
busy  I  am,  and  that  I  am  a  matter  of  fact  man.  I 
have  a  weakness  for  these  Americans,  and  they  know  it, 
but  they  ought  to  have  some  consideration  for  me. 
Point  that  out  to  him,  and  say  that  I  must  make  short 
work  of  it,  even  with  crowned  heads.  Besides,  I  require 
six  or  seven  hours  daily  for  my  work,  and  must  there- 
fore remain  at  it  until  late  into  the  night." 

Thursday,  Octoher  ISth. — Read  and  made  use  of  a 
report  from  Eome  giving  the  result  of  the  plebiscite, 
which  shows  that  there  is  no  longer  any  Papal  j^arty 
there.  It  would  aj)pear  as  if  the  whole  political 
organisation  of  the  Pajial  State  has  fallen  into  dust,  like 
a  corpse  that,  after  remaining  unchanged  for  a  thousand 
years  in  its  leaden  shell,  has  been  suddenly  exposed  to 


Oct.  13,  i87o]  ITALY  AND    THE  POPE  251 

the  air.  There  is  nothing  left  of  it — not  a  memory  nor 
even  a  void  which  it  had  filled.  The  voting,  which  had 
to  be  conducted  according  to  the  Italian  Constitution, 
is  a  voluntary  manifestation  of  opinions  which  either 
involve  no  sacrifice  or  a  very  slight  one,  except,  of 
course,  to  the  emigrants.  So  far  as  those  opinions  in- 
dicate an  antipathy  to  the  political  regime  of  the 
Papacy,  there  can  be  no  possibility  of  a  reaction.  On 
the  other  hand,  whether  the  Romans  will  desire  to  be 
and  to  remain  subjects  of  the  King  of  Italy  will  depend, 
so  far  as  the  permanence  of  his  rule  is  concerned,  upon 
the  manner  in  which  they  are  governed. 

I  received  this  report  from  the  Chancellor,  with 
instructions  to  utilise  it  in  the  press.  The  statistical 
information,  however,  was  all  that  was  to  be  taken. 
"  It  would  appear  therefrom,"  he  added,  "  that  there 
has  been  some  trickery.  But  do  not  draw  any  moral 
against  either  the  Pope  or  Italy." 

To  judge  by  a  letter  from  Saint  Louis,  dated  the 
13th  of  September,  national  sentiment  amongst  the 
Germans  in  America  would  seem  to  have  been  greatly 
stimulated  by  the  success  of  the  war,  and  to  be  now 
much  stronger  than  their  republican  leanings.  "  A 
German  who  has  lived  here  for  twenty  years,  who  was 
formerly  your  deadly  foe,  but  whose  ideal  you  now  are," 
thus  enthusiastically  addresses  the  Chancellor  :  "  For- 
ward, Bismarck  !  Hurrah  for  Germany  !  Hurrah  for 
William  the  First,  Emperor  of  Germany ! "  Bravo  ! 
But  it  appears  that  our  Democrats  must  emigrate  before 
they  can  be  brought  to  entertain  such  feelings. 

The  conversation  at  dinner  was  not  of  particular 
interest  to-day.  While  taking  our  coffee,  the  Chancellor 
again  read  us  a  portion  of  a  letter  from  "Johanna" 
(his  wife),  which  contained  some  very  severe  judgments 


252  A   LOVELY  IDEA  [Oct.  14,  1870 

upon  the  French,  referring,   amongst  other  things,   to 
Paris  as  an  "  abominable  Babel." 

Friday,  Octoher  lAth. — Busy  working  for  the  post 
up  to  midday.  Telegraphed  afterwards  to  London 
and  Brussels  respecting  the  false  assertions  of  Ducrot 
in  the  Liberie.  Also  reported  that  General  Boycr, 
Bazaine's  first  adjutant,  had  arrived  at  Versailles  from 
Metz  for  the  purpose  of  negotiating  with  us.  The 
Chief,  however,  does  not  seem  to  wish  to  treat  seriously 
with  him,  at  least  to-day.  He  said  in  the  bureau  : 
"What  day  of  the  month  is  it?"  "The  14th,  Ex- 
cellency." "  Ah,  that  was  Hochkirchen  and  Jena,  days 
of  disaster  for  Prussia.  We  must  not  begin  any 
business  to-day."  It  may  also  be  observed  that  to-day 
is  a  Friday. 

At  dinner  the  Chief,  after  thinking  for  a  moment, 
said,  smiling  :  "I  have  a  lovely  idea  in  connection 
with  the  conclusion  of  peace.  It  is  to  appoint  an 
International  Court  for  the  trial  of  all  those  who  have 
instigated  the  war,  newspaper  writers,  deputies,  senators, 
and  ministers."  Abeken  added  that  Thiers  would  also 
be  indirectly  involved,  especially  on  account  of  his 
Chauvinistic  History  of  the  Coiisulate  and  Empire. 
"  The  Emperor  also,"  said  the  Chief.  "  He  is  not  cjuite 
so  innocent  as  he  wants  to  make  out.  My  idea  was 
that  each  of  the  great  Powers  should  appoint  an  equal 
number  of  judges,  America,  England,  Russia  and  so 
forth,  and  that  we  should  be  the  prosecutors.  But  the 
English  and  the  Russians  would  of  course  not  agree  to 
it,  so  that  the  Court  might  after  all  be  composed  of  the 
two  nations  who  have  suffered  most  from  the  war,  that 
is  to  say,  of  Frenchmen  and  Germans."  The  Minister 
also  said  :  "  I  have  read  the  article  in  the  Tndependance 
Beige,  which  Grammont  is  believed  to  have  written. 


Oct.  14,  i87o]  GENERAL  BOYER  ■    253 


He  blames  us  for  not  having  set  Napoleon  at  liberty  at 
Sedan,  and  he  is  not  pleased  at  our  marching  on  Paris, 
instead  of  merely  occupying  Alsace  and  Lorraine  as  a 
pledge.  I  thought  at  first  it  might  have  come  from 
Beusfc  or  some  other  good  friend  in  Austria,  but  I  am 
now  convinced  that  it  must  have  been  written  by  a 
Frenchman."  He  gave  his  reasons  for  this  opinion,  and 
then  continued :  "  His  argument  would  be  just  if  his 
assumption  were  correct,  namely,  that  we  really  did  not 
want  Alsace,  but  only  an  indemnity.  But  as  it  is  it 
will  be  better  to  have  Paris  as  well  as  Alsace  as  pledges. 
AVhen  one  wants  something  decent  the  pledge  can 
never  be  of  too  great  value." 

A  reference  was  made  to  Boyer,  who  created  a  great 
sensation  in  the  town,  where  the  uniform  of  a  French 
general  has  not  been  seen  for  a  long  time  past,  and 
who  was  greeted  by  the  crowd  with  shouts  of  "  Vive 
la  France  ! "  He  declared,  it  is  said,  that  the  army  in 
Metz  remained  faithful  to  the  Emperor,  and  would  have 
nothing  to  do  with  the  republic  of  Parisian  lawyers. 
The  Chancellor  also  expressed  himself  to  this  effect, 
adding  :  "  The  General  is  one  of  those  people  who 
become  suddenly  lean  when  they  grow  excited.  Un- 
questionably he  is  also  a  thorough  scoundrel,  but  he 
can  still  blush."  In  reading  the  following  further 
remarks  by  the  Minister,  it  must  be  remembered  that 
Gambetta  had  already  preached  war  a  outrance,  and 
that  the  Parisian  press»almost  daily  recommended  some 
new  infamy. 

The  Chancellor  referred  to  various  horrors  that  had 
again  been  committed  recently  by  bands  of  guerillas. 
He  quoted  the  proverb,  Wie  es  in  den  Wald  schallt, 
so  schallt  es  wieder  heraus,  (The  wood  re-echoes  what 
is  shouted  into  it,)  and  said  that  to  show  any  considera- 


254  BISMARCICS  POLICY  HAMPERED      [Oct.  14,  1870 

tion  to  these  treacherous  franctireurs  was  a  "  culpable 
laziness  in  killing."  "  It  is  treason  to  our  country." 
"  Our  people  are  very  good  marksmen,  but  bad  execu- 
tioners. Every  village  in  which  an  act  of  treachery  has 
been  committed  should  be  burnt  to  the  ground,  and  all 
the  male  inhabitants  hanged." 

Count  Bismarck-Bohlen  then  related  that  the  village 
of  Hably,  where  a  scjuadron  of  Silesian  hussars  was  set 
upon  by  franctireurs  with  the  knowledge  of  the  in- 
habitants so  that  they  only  succeeded  in  bringing  away 
eleven  horses,  was  actually  burnt  to  the  ground.  The 
Chief,  as  was  only  right  and  proper,  commended  this 
act  of  energy. 

Bohlen  further  stated  that  sixty  Bavarian  infantry- 
men who  were  with  the  cavalry  detachment  had  not 
kept  proper  watch,  and  that  when  the  franctireurs 
poured  in  from  all  sides  at  3  o'clock  in  the  morning 
they  took  to  their  heels.  The  Chief  said  :  "  That  fact 
should  be  published  in  order  that  we  may  take  proper 
precautions  later  when  we  enter  into  a  military 
convention  with  Bavaria." 

The  Chancellor's  policy  appears  to  be  hampered  by 
other  influences.  He  said  at  table  :  "  It  is  reaUy  a  great 
nuisance  that  I  must  first  discuss  every  plan  I  form 
with  five  or  six  persons,  who  as  a  rule  know  nothing 
about  the  matter.  I  must  listen  to  their  objections, 
and  am  forced  to  refute  them  politely.  In  this  way  I 
have  been  recently  obliged  to  spend  three  whole  days 
over  an  affair  that  I  could  otherwise  have  settled  in 
three  minutes.  It  is  exactly  as  if  I  began  to  give  my 
opinion  on  the  position  of  a  battery,  and  the  oflicer — 
whose  business  I  do  not  understand — were  obliged  to 
reply  to  my  argument." 

The  Chief  afterwards  related  the  following:  "Moltke 


Oct.  14,  1870]  MOLTKE  AND  ROON  255 

and  Roon  were  with  me  yesterday,  and  I  explained  to 
tliem  my  ideas.  Roon,  who  is  accustomed  to  Parlia- 
mentary procedm'c,  was  silent  and  let  me  speak,  and 
then  agreed  with  what  I  said.  '  Molk,'  whose  profile 
resembles  more  and  more  every  day  that  of  a  bird  of 
prey,  also  appeared  to  be  listening.  But  when  I  had 
finished  he  came  out  with  something  utterly  difi'erent, 
and  I  saw  that  he  had  not  paid  the  least  attention  to 
my  explanation,  but  had  on  the  contrary  been  spinning 
out  some  ideas  of  his  own  which  had  nothing  to  do  with 
the  matter.  '  Molk '  is  an  exceedingly  able  man,  and  I 
am  convinced  that  whatever  he  gave  his  attention  to  he 
would  do  well.  But  for  years  past  he  has  devoted  him- 
self to  one  single  subject,  and  he  has  come  to  have  no 
head  and  no  interest  for  anything  else.  It  put  me  in  a 
temper  to  find  I  had  been  talking  to  deaf  ears,  but  I 
took  my  revenge.  Instead  of  repeating  my  explanation 
I  observed  to  Roon  :  '  You  have  given  me  your  opinion, 
therefore  you  have  followed  what  I  said.  Will  you  now 
have  the  kindness  to  explain  the  matter  once  more  ? '  " 

Sunday,  October  16th. — This  morning  I  received 
another  letter  from  Bamberger,  who  writes  from 
Lausanne.  He  thinks  Bismarck  can  do  what  he  likes  if 
he  will  only  follow  a  sound  German  policy,  that  is  to 
say,  "if  a  United  German  State  is  now  firmly 
established."  "In  Germany  people  are  convinced  that 
this  solution  rests  with  the  Chancellor  of  the  Confedera- 
tion, and  all  opposition  offered  to  it  is  attributed  by 
public  opinion  to  the  Minister.  People  say  to  them- 
selves that  if  Count  Bismarck  did  not  secretly  encourage 
that  opposition  it  would  not  dare  to  manifest  itself  in 
such  a  great  crisis."  Finally  Bamberger  asked  whether 
he  should  come  here.  At  his  request  I  submitted  a 
number  of  points  in  his  letter  to  the  Minister.     The 


256  MINISTER    VON  SCHLEINITZ    [Oct.  i8,  1870 

Chief  said  he  would  be  very  pleased  to  see  Bamberger 
here,  as  his  local  knowledge  of  Paris  would  be  very 
useful  once  we  got  in  the  city.  "  Then  he  can  also  on 
his  return  explain  many  things  in  his  own  circles  which 
it  would  be  difficult  to  write.  It  is  strange,  though,  that 
they  should  think  I  do  not  desire  to  see  Germany 
united.  The  cause  is  not  progressing  as  it  ought  to  do, 
owing  to  the  constant  tergiversation  of  Bavaria  and 
Wiirtemberg,  and  because  we  do  not  know  exactly  what 
King  Lewis  thinks.  For  the  same  reasons,  if  this  unity 
is  at  length  secured,  many  things  to  which  many  people 
look  forward  will  still  be  wanting." 

Monday^  October  lltli. — In  the  evening  we  were 
told  to  pack  our  boxes,  and  that  the  carriages  were  to 
take  their  place  behind  those  of  the  King's  suite  opposite 
the  Prefecture,  in  case  of  an  alarm  in  the  night.  A 
sortie  has  been  expected  since  yesterday. 

Tuesday,  October  ISth. — The  Chief  took  lunch  with 
us  to-day,  a  thing  which  has  seldom  happened  recently. 

The  Chief  then  read  a  number  of  particularly 
edifying  private  letters  to  the  Emperor  Napoleon  which 
had  been  published  by  the  Provisional  Grovernment,  his 
comments  upon  them  also  containing  occasional 
references  to  personages  in  Berlin.  The  Minister  said, 
with  reference  to  a  letter  from  Pourtales  :  "  Schleinitz 
was  very  discreet  in  speaking  of  his  colleagues,  but 
being  a  vain  old  coxcomb  he  was  exceedingly  loquacious 
with  women  of  all  sorts  and  conditions."  (Turning  to 
Delbriick  :)  "  You  should  just  have  a  glance  at  the  police 
reports  which  Manteuffel  had  prepared  on  this  subject." 

The  Minister  afterwards  referred  to  a  statement  in 
the  Ki'aj,  and  in  connection  therewith  to  the  Poles  in 
general.  He  spoke  a  good  deal  about  the  victories  of 
the  Great  Elector  in   the  East,  and  the  alliance  with 


Oct.  19, 1870]  THE  POLISH  QUESTION  257 

Charles  the  Tenth  of  Sweden,  which  had  promised  him 
great  advantages.  It  was  a  pity,  however,  that  his 
relations  with  Holland  prevented  him  from  following  up 
those  advantages  and  fully  availing  himself  of  them. 
He  would  otherwise  have  had  a  good  prospect  of 
extending  his  power  in  Western  Poland.  On  Delbriick 
remarking  that  then  Prussia  would  not  have  remained  a 
German  State,  the  Chief  replied  :  "  It  would  not  have 
done  any  great  harm.  In  that  case  there  would  have 
been  a  northern  State  somewhat  similar  to  Austria  in 
the  South.  Poland  would  have  been  for  us  what 
Hungary  is  to  Austria."  This  observation  reminded 
me  of  what  he  had  previously  said  on  one  occasion, 
namely,  that  he  had  advised  the  Crown  Prince  to  have 
his  son  taught  the  Polish  language,  which,  however,  to 
his  regret,  was  not  done. 

Wednesday,  October  19th. — At  dinner,  at  which 
Count  Waldersee  joined  us,  the  Minister  remarked  :  "  It 
would  be  a  good  plan  if  the  inhabitants  of  a  few  square 
miles  of  those  districts  where  our  troops  are  fired  at  from 
behind  hedges,  and  where  the  rails  are  loosened  and 
stones  laid  upon  the  railway  lines,  were  transported  to 
Germany  and  kept  under  close  watch  there."  Bucher 
related  how,  on  his  journey  hither, an  officer  had  borrowed 
his  revolver  and  played  with  it  ostentatiously  while 
they  were  passing  under  a  bridge  from  which  French 
scamps  were  accustomed  to  spit  down  upon  our  people. 
The  Chief  exclaimed  :  "  Why  play  ?  He  should  have 
waited  till  they  had  done  it,  and  then  fired  at  them." 

If  I  rightly  understand,  Weimar  had  "  commanded  " 
the  Chancellor  to  call  upon  him  this  evening,  as  he 
wished  to  obtain  information  on  some  subject.  The 
Chief  said :  "I  sent  him  word  that  I  was  detained  by 
my  health  and  the  business  of  State." 

VOL.  I  S 


iSS  THE  GRAND  DUKE  OF  WEIMAR       [Oct.  20,  1870 

< 

Waldersee  understands  that,  during  the  burning  of 
the  Palace  of  Saint  Cloud,  some  of  the  minor  Princes  had 
"  saved  for  themselves "  various  "  souvenirs,"  such  as 
vases,  trinkets  and  books,  but  were  forced  to  return 
them  by  order  of  the  Crown  Prince.  Bohlen  made  some 
outrageous  jokes  upon  the  Weimar  Order  of  the  White 
Falcon,  which  led  to  a  discussion  on  Orders  in  general, 
and  the  plentiful  crop  of  this  species  of  fruit  which  many 
people  have  already  harvested.  "  Yes,"  said  the  Chief, 
"  such  quantities  of  tinplate  !  If  it  were  only  possible 
to  give  away  the  Orders  of  which  one  has  too  many  !  To 
you,  for  instance,  Dr.  Busch.  How  would  you  like  it  ?  " 
"No,  thank  you.  Excellency,"  I  replied;  "very  many 
thanks.  But,  yes  ;  if  I  could  have  one  of  those  that  you 
have  worn  yourself,  as  a  memento,  that  would  be  some- 
thing different.     Otherwise  I  do  not  want  any." 

Thursday^  October  20th. — Morning  and  afternoon 
busy  writing  various  articles  and  telegrams. 

The  arrest  of  Jacoby  by  the  military  authorities  was 
one  of  the  subjects  discussed  at  dinner,  and  the  Chief 
once  more  expressed  great  doubts  as  to  its  expediency. 
Bismarck-Bohlen  was  highly  pleased  that  "  the  chatter- 
ing scoundrel  had  been  locked  up  !  "  The  Chancellor's 
reply  was  very  characteristic.  He  said :  "I  am  not 
at  all  pleased.  A  party  man  might  be,  because  it 
would  gratify  his  vindictiveness.  A  statesman  knows 
no  such  feeling.  In  politics  the  only  question 
is,  what  good  result  will  it  do  to  ill-treat  a  political 
opponent  ? " 

Some  one  remarked  that  the  Grand  Duke  of  Weimar 
was  very  angry  because  the  Chief  had  not  gone  to  see 
him    as    desired,   whereupon    the    Minister  turned  to 

Keudell,  and  said  rather  sharply  :    "  Tell (I  could 

not  catch  the  name)  immediately  that  I  was  indignant 


Oct.2o,  iSyo]  THE  DUKE  OF  COBURG  259 


at  his  Gracious  Master  making  such  claims  upon  my 
time  and  health,  and  that  he  should  have  such  an 
erroneous  idea  of  the  duties  which  I  have  to  discharge." 
"  I  can  now  understand  how  poor  Wartsdorf  came  to  die 
so  young."  "The  Coburger  worries  me  almost  as  much. 
He  has  written  me  a  twelve-page  letter  on  German 
politics,  but  I  have  given  him  a  proper  answer.  I  told 
him  that  of  all  the  points  he  mentioned  there  was  only 
one  which  had  not  been  long  since  dealt  with,  and  that 
one  was  not  worth  discussing.  He  did  us  a  good  service, 
however,  in  1866.  It  is  true  that  previously  he  was  bad 
enough — when  he  wished  to  be  Emperor  of  Germany, 
and  put  himself  at  the  head  of  a  secret  shooting  club. 
At  that  time  I  seriously  intended  to  have  him  kidnapped 
by  a  regiment  of  hussars  and  brought  to  Magdeburg,  and 
I  submitted  my  proposal  to  the  King.  He  is  eaten  up 
with  vanity."  The  Minister  then  related  that  the  Duke 
had  ordered  a  picture  to  be  painted  of  himself  as  the 
victor  of  Eckernforde,  seated  on  a  prancing  charger  with 
a  bombshell  exploding  at  his  feet ;  while,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  "  he  did  not  on  that  occasion  display  any  heroism, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  kept  at  a  respectable  distance  from 
gunshot — which  was  quite  a  sensible  thing  for  him 
to  do." 

The  German  liberal  press  is  still  uneasy  with  respect 
to  the  arrest  of  Jacoby.  The  Chief  seems  to  consider  it 
of  great  importance  that  his  view  of  the  affair  should 
not  be  misunderstood,  and  that  it  should  be  generally 
adopted.  The  Weser  Zeitung  of  the  16th  instant, 
which  arrived  to-day,  has  an  article  which  criticises  the 
Minister's  previous  declarations  on  this  subject  in  a 
hostile  spirit.  It  concludes  as  follows :  "To  sum  up, 
we  must  hold  to  our  view  that  Jacoby  has  been  treated 
unjustly,  and  although  we  anticipate  no  fearful  conse- 

s  2 


26o  THE  J  A  COB  Y  AFFAIR  [Oct.  20, 1 870 

quences  from  this  action,  we  nevertheless  regret  this 
episode  in  the  history  of  a  glorious  epoch." 
The  Chief  dictated  the  following  reply  : — 
"  The  Weser  Zeitung  of  the  16th  instant  heads  its 
columns  with  an  article  which  speaks  of  the  advice  for- 
warded to  the  Konisberg  magistrates  by  the  Chancellor 
of  the  Confederation,  through  the  Chief  President  von 
Horn,  respecting  the  Jacoby  affair.  Be  good  enough  to 
permit  a  few  words  of  explanation  in  connection  with 
that  criticism.  The  remarks  of  the  Weser  Zeitung  refer 
to  two  different  subjects.  The  statement  of  the  Chan- 
cellor in  his  communication  to  the  Chief  President  is  a 
purely  theoretical  discussion  as  to  whether  action  inad- 
missible in  peace  may  not  be  taken  by  military 
authorities  after  war  has  actually  broken  out.  The 
opinions  therein  expressed  are  almost  the  same  as  those 
which  must  have  been  entertained  by  the  Weser  Zeitung 
itself  when  it  remarked,  '  We  can  easily  conceive  cases 
in  which  we  should  be  prepared  with  all  our  hearts  to 
grant  not  only  an  indemnity  but  a  vote  of  thanks  for 
the  somewhat  illegal  arrest  of  any  worthless  individual 
who  obstructed  this  holy  war.'  That  is  exactly  the 
opinion  of  the  Chancellor.  If  that  much  were  not 
granted,  it  would  then  be  impossible  on  an  invasion  of 
North  German  territory  to  deliver  battle  on  our  own 
soil,  unless  some  extensive  and  entirely  uninhabited 
heath  were  discovered  and  retained  for  the  purpose,  and 
even  then  the  proprietor  of  that  piece  of  gi'ound  would 
be  afterwards  able  to  claim  compensation  for  the  damage 
done  to  his  property. 

"  Either  the  authorities  entrusted  with  the  conduct 
of  the  military  operations  must,  notwithstanding  the 
actual  outbreak  of  hostilities,  be  bound  by  the  Constitu- 
tion and  the  law,  or  they  must  be  held  at  liberty  to  take 


Oct.  20, 1870]  MILITAR  V  JURISDICTION  261 

such  reasonable  measures  as  they  consider  necessary 
with  a  view  to  the  fulfilment  of  their  task.  Theoreti- 
cally, this  question  must  be  answered  with  a  bare  affir- 
mative or  negative.  If  it  be  answered  in  the  negative 
it  is  hard  to  say  by  how  many  judicial  officials  every 
detachment  of  the  fighting  force  on  native  soil  would 
have  to  be  accompanied,  and  what  legal  formalities 
gone  through  in  the  case  of  each  separate  house  and 
person  before  the  military  authorities  could  feel  that 
they  were  constitutionally  within  their  rights  in  the 
course  they  desired  to  adopt.  If  the  question  is 
answered  in  the  affirmative,  then  it  must  be  recognised 
that  it  is  impossible  to  codify  the  regulations  governing 
the  discretionary  power  which  must  be  vested  in  the 
military  commander  in  war,  in  such  a  manner  that  the 
general  or  soldier  who  executes  his  orders  on  native  soil 
can  in  every  instance  refer  to  the  particular  paragraph 
of  the  Constitution  or  the  law  justifying  his  action. 

"  The  Chancellor  of  the  Confederation  cannot  possibly 
have  had  any  other  intention  than  to  lay  down  the 
principles  just  stated  theoretically,  since,  as  a  constitu- 
tional Prussian  Minister  of  State,  it  is  not  competent  for 
him  to  express  any  opinion  as  to  whether  the  military 
commander  has  acted  rightly  in  exercising  the  power 
vested  in  him,  or  as  to  the  extent  to  which  he  may  have 
exercised  it.  The  military  governors,  who  are  appointed 
before  the  outbreak  of  war,  are  neither  nominated  by  the 
Minister  nor  are  they  under  his  control.  They  are,  on 
the  contrary,  appointed  without  his  concurrence  on  the 
authority  of  the  commander-in-chief,  like  all  other 
military  commanders.  The  Chancellor  of  the  Confedera- 
tion and  the  other  Ministers  of  State  are  not  the 
superiors  of  the  military  governors,  and  the  latter  would 
not  obey  the  directions  of  the  Ministers,  but  only  those 


262  THE  CHANCELLORS  POSITION       [Oct.  20, 1870 

of  the  military  authorities  which  reach  them  without 
any  Ministerial  co-operation. 

"It  is  therefore  an  entirely  unpractical  course  for 
those  who  consider  themselves  unjustly  treated  under  the 
orders  of  the  military  authorities  to  direct  their  com- 
plaints to  the  Ministers  of  State.  They  can  only  demand 
redress  from  the  military  superiors  of  those  against 
whom  they  enter  complaint.  It  may  therefore  be  taken 
for  granted  that  the  Chancellor  of  the  Confederation 
has  not  considered  himself  to  be  in  a  position  to 
officially  express  an  opinion  on  the  expediency  of  the 
course  adopted  in  a  single  instance,  such  as  that  of 
Jacoby,  but  has,  on  the  contrary,  merely  dealt  from  a 
theoretical  standpoint,  with  the  question  whether,  during 
war  and  in  the  interest  of  its  successful  prosecution,  the 
arrest  of  individuals  whose  action  in  the  judgment  of 
the  military  authorities  is  injurious  to  us  and  advan- 
tageous to  the  enemy  is  temporarily  permissible. 

"  Stated  in  these  general  terms,  the  question  can 
hardly  be  answered  in  the  negative  by  practical  poli- 
ticians and  soldiers,  although  they  may  entertain  many 
scruples  both  on  theoretical  and  judicial  grounds  against 
martial  law  as  a  whole.  The  concrete  question,  however, 
whether  this  right,  if  it  exists,  was  properly  exercised 
in  the  case  of  Jacoby,  is  as  much  beyond  the  competence 
of  the  Ministry  as,  say,  the  question  whether  it  is 
necessary  or  desirable  in  delivering  battle  on  native 
soil  to  set  a  particular  village  on  fire,  or  to  arrest 
without  legal  process  a  private  person  at  a  distance  of 
fifty  miles  from  the  battle-field  because  he  is  suspected 
of  favouring  the  enemy.  A  discussion  of  the  means 
by  which  the  military  commander  could  be  rendered 
responsible  for  what  the  parties  concerned  may  consider 
a  false,  hasty  or   improper    course    is    foreign   to    our 


Oct.  21, 1870]  A  NJCE  QUESTION  263 

purpose.  AVe  have  merely  been  at  pains  to  show  that 
the  constitutional  attributes  of  the  Ministry  do  not  give 
it  any  authority  to  interfere  directly  in  such  cases." 

Friday,  October  21st. — The  heavy  firing  which  began 
early  this  morning  increased  as  the  day  wore  on.  We 
did  not  allow  this  to  disturb  us,  however.  Various 
articles  were  completed,  including  one  on  the  departure 
of  the  Nuncio  and  other  diplomats  from  Paris. 

At  lunch  Keudell  stated  that  the  French  artillery 
had  destroyed  the  porcelain  factory  at  Sevres.  Hatz- 
feldt  told  us  that  his  mother-in-law,  an  American  lady 
who  had  remained  in  Paris,  had  sent  him  good  news 
respecting  the  ponies  of  which  he  had  often  spoken  to 
us.  They  were  fine  and  fat.  The  question  was  whe- 
ther she  should  now  eat  them.  He  was  about  to  answer, 
"  Yes,  in  God's  name  !  "  but  he  intended  to  get  the  price 
of  these  animals  included  in  the  indemnity  to  be  paid 
by  the  French  Government. 

Between  1  and  2  o'clock  the  firing  seemed  to  have 
approached  the  woods  to  the  north  of  the  town.  The 
artillery  fire  was  severe,  the  reports  following  each  other 
in  rapid  succession,  while  the  rattle  of  the  mitrailleuse 
could  also  be  recognised.  It  gave  the  impression  that 
a  regular  battle  had  developed,  and  was  drawing  nearer 
to  us.  The  Chief  ordered  his  horse  to  be  saddled,  and 
rode  ofi".  The  rest  of  us  also  followed  in  the  direction 
in  which  the  fight  seemed  to  be  raging.  We  saw  the 
familiar  white  clouds  that  accompany  shell  fire  rise  and 
burst  in  the  air  to  the  left,  over  the  wood  through  which 
the  road  to  Jardy  and  Vaucresson  leads.  Orderlies  were 
galloping  along  the  road  thither,  and  a  battalion  was 
marching  towards  the  point  where  the  engagement  was 
taking  place.  The  fight  continued  until  after  4  o'clock, 
and  then  one  only  heard  isolated  discharges  from  the 


264  FRANCE  AND  SPAIN  [Oct.  22, 1870 


large  fort  on  Mont  Val^rien,  and  finally  tliey  too  ceased. 
As  was  only  natural,  great  excitement  prevailed  during 
the  afternoon  amongst  the  French  in  the  town,  and  the 
groups  who  stood  before  the  houses  probably  expected 
every  moment,  as  the  noise  of  the  firing  came  nearer 
and  nearer,  to  see  our  troops  in  full  flight  before  the 
red  breeches.  They  afterwards  drew  long  faces  and 
shrugged  their  shoulders. 

In  the  evening  the  Chief  said  we  ought  not  to  per- 
mit groups  of  people  to  collect  in  the  streets  on  the 
occasion  of  an  engagement,  and  that  the  inhabitants 
should  be  ordered  in  such  circumstances  to  remain 
within  doors,  the  patrols  being  instructed  to  fire  upon 
those  refusing  obedience. 

Sunday,  Octoher  22nd. — This  has  now  been*  done, 
Voigts-Rhetz,  the  Commandant  of  Versailles,  having 
issued  an  order  to  the  eff'ect  that  on  the  alarm  signal 
being  given,  all  the  inhabitants  must  immediately 
return  to  their  houses,  failing  which  the  troops  had 
received  instructions  to  fire  upon  them. 

The  Parisian  Prefect  of  Police,  Keratry,  has  appeared 
in  Madrid  with  the  object  of  submitting  two  proposals 
to  General  Prim.  The  first  is  that  France  and  Spain 
should  enter  into  an  offensive  and  defensive  alliance, 
under  which  the  latter  country  should  send  an  army  of 
fifty  thousand  men  to  the  assistance  of  the  French.  The 
object  of  the  alliance  would  be  the  common  defence  of 
the  nations  of  the  Latin  race  against  the  supremacy  of 
the  Germanic  race.  On  Prim  declining  this  strange 
off'er  (strange  inasmuch  as  the  Spanish  support  of 
France,  which  but  three  months  before  had  in  the  most 
arrogant  manner  forced  its  own  policy  upon  Spain, 
would  be  an  unexampled  piece  of  self-renunciation  and 
a  misconception  of  the  clearest  interests  of  the  Spanish 


Oct.22,  iSyo]         '' NO  ELECTIONS,  NO  PEACE"  265 

people),  the  French  intermediary  asked  that  at  least  a 
decree  should  be  issued  permitting  the  import  of  arms 
into  France.  This  suggestion  was  also  rejected  by 
Prim. 

The  surrender  of  Metz  is  expected,  within  the  next 
week.  Prince  Frederick  Charles  desires,  if  I  rightly 
understand,  a  capitulation  on  the  same  conditions  as  at 
Sedan  and  Toul ;  while  the  Chancellor,  for  political 
reasons,  is  in  favour  of  a  more  considerate  treatment  of 
the  garrison.  The  King  seems  to  hesitate  between  the 
two  courses. 

The  Chief  said  yesterday  to  the  Mayor  of  Versailles  : 
"  No  elections,  no  peace.  But  the  gentlemen  of  Paris 
will  not  hear  of  them.  The  American  generals  who 
were  in  Paris  with  the  object  of  inducing  them  to  hold 
the  elections  tell  me  that  there  is  no  getting  them  to 
consider  the  matter.  Only  Trochu  said  they  were  not 
yet  so  hard  pressed  that  they  need  enter  into  negotia- 
tions,— the  others  would  not  hear  of  them,  not  even  of 
submitting  the  question  to  the  country."  "  I  told  him 
finally,"  said  the  Minister,  "  that  we  should  have  no 
alternative  but  to  come  to  an  understanding  with 
Napoleon,  and  to  force  him  back  upon  the  French  again. 
He  did  not  believe  we  would  do  that,  as  it  would  be  the 
grossest  insult  we  could  offer  them.  I  replied  that  it 
was  nevertheless  in  the  interests  of  the  victor  to  leave 
the  defeated  nation  under  a  regime  which  would  have 
to  rely  solely  upon  the  army.  In  such  circumstances  it 
would  be  impossible  to  think  of  foreign  wars.  In  con- 
clusion, I  advised  him  not  to  make  the  mistake  of 
thinking  that  Napoleon  had  no  hold  upon  the  people. 
He  had  the  army  on  his  side.  Boyer  had  negotiated 
with  me  in  the  name  of  the  Emperor.  How  far  the 
present  Government  in  Paris  had  the  support  of   the 


266  POLITICAL  PARTIES  IN  FRANCE       [Oct.  22,  1870 

people  remained  to  be  seen.  The  rural  population  could 
hardly  share  the  opinion  that  peace  was  not  to  be 
thought  of.  He  then  gave  his  own  view  respecting  the 
conditions  of  peace,  namely,  the  razing  of  their  fortresses 
and  ours,  and  the  disarmament  of  both  countries  in  pro- 
portion to  the  population,  &c.  As  I  told  him  at  the 
commencement,  these  people  have  no  right  conception  of 
what  war  really  is." 

The  Nouvelliste  being  now  the  only  newspaper  in 
Versailles,  and  as  it  sensibly  avoids  unnecessarily 
hurting  the  patriotic  sentiments  of  the  French,  the 
people  here  take  some  account  of  it.  Lowensohn  tells 
us  that  the  number  of  copies  sold  varies,  some  issues 
have  been  quite  cleared  out,  while  of  others  he  has 
only  thirty  to  fifty,  and  of  yesterday's  150  copies 
on  hand.  Up  to  the  present  his  weekly  balance  shows 
no  loss. 

In  the  evening  wrote  an  article  for  the  Norddeutsche 
in  which  the  following  ideas  are  developed.  The  first 
condition  upon  which  the  Chancellor  of  the  Confedera- 
tion insisted  in  speaking  to  the  various  persons  who 
have  desired  to  negotiate  with  him  respecting  peace  was 
the  election  of  an  Assembly  representing  the  will  of 
France.  He  addressed  the  same  demand  to  the  emis- 
saries of  the  Republicans  and  to  the  Imperialists,  and 
to  another  third  party.  He  desires  to  grant  all  possible 
facilities  for  thus  consulting  the  wishes  of  the  popula- 
tion. The  form  of  government  is  a  matter  of  entire 
indifi'erence  to  us.  But  we  can  only  deal  with  a  real 
Government  recognised  by  the  nation. 

The  Nouvelliste  will  shortly  publish  the  following 
ideas  in  a  French  dress :  "At  the  present  moment  in 
France,  events  are  constantly  occurring  which  are  not 
only  opposed  to  common  sense,  but  are  frequently  an 


Oct.24,  i87oJ       AN  IMPOSSIBLE  SUGGESTION  267 

outrage  on  all  moral  feeling.  Former  Papal  Zouaves, 
and  not  alone  Frenchmen,  serve  without  scruple  in  the 
army  of  a  Republic  which  is  governed  by  Voltairians. 
Garibaldi  comes  to  Tours,  and  oflfers,  as  he  says,  what 
remains  of  his  life  to  the  service  of  France.  He  can 
hardly  have  forgotten  that  this  same  France,  twenty 
years  before,  destroyed  the  Roman  Republic,  while  the 
wounds  which  it  inflicted  upon  his  country  at  Mentana 
must  be  still  fresh  in  his  memory.  Nor  can  we  have 
forgotten  how  his  native  town  of  Nice  was  filched  from 
the  Italian  fatherland  by  this  same  France,  and  that  it 
is  at  the  present  moment  only  restrained  by  a  state  of 
siege  from  throwing  off  the  French  yoke." 

Delbriick  mentioned  that  during  the  preliminary 
negotiations  for  the  reorganisation  of  Germany,  Bavaria 
laid  claim  to  a  kind  of  joint  participation  in  the  re- 
presentation of  the  Federal  State  in  foreign  countries, 
the  Bavarian  idea  being  that  when  the  Prussian,  or 
rather  the  German,  Minister  or  Ambassador  was  absent, 
the  Bavarian  representative  should  have  the  conduct  of 
affairs.  The  Chief  said  :  "  No,  whatever  they  like,  but 
that  is  really  impossible.  The  question  is  not  what 
Ambassador  we  are  to  have,  but  what  instructions  he  is 
to  receive,  and  under  that  arrangement  there  would  be 
two  Ministers  for  Foreign  Affairs  in  Germany."  The 
Count  then  proceeded  to  further  develop  this  point  of 
view,  illustrating  it  by  examples. 

Monday,  October  24:th. — Strange  news  comes  from 
Marseilles.  It  appears  that  the  Red  Republicans  have 
there  gained  the  upper  hand.  Esquiros,  the  Prefect  of  the 
Mouths  of  the  Rhone,  belongs  to  this  variety  of  French 
Republicans.  He  has  suppressed  the  Gazette  du  Midi, 
because  the  clubs  of  his  party  maintain  that  it  favours 
the   candidature   of   the    Comte   de   Chambord,  whose 


268  THE  WAR  INDEMNITY  [Oct.  25, 1870 


proclamation  it  has  published.  He  has  also  expelled 
the  Jesuits.  A  decree  has  been  issued  by  Gambetta, 
declaring  the  Prefect  to  be  dismissed,  and  his  measures 
against  the  newspaper  mentioned  and  the  Jesuits  to 
be  abrogated.  Esquiros,  however,  supported  by  the 
working  classes,  has  declined  to  obey  this  order  of  the 
Government  Delegation  at  Tours,  and  continues  to  hold 
his  post.  li\\Q,  Gazette  du  Midi  is  still  suppressed,  and 
the  Jesuits  are  expelled.  Just  as  little  heed  was  paid  to 
Gambetta's  decree  disbanding  the  Civic  Guard,  which 
was  recruited  from  Red  Republicans,  and  is  not  to  be 
confounded  with  the  Marseilles  National  Guard.  The 
Chief  remarked  with  reference  to  this  news:  "It  looks 
as  if  things  were  tending  towards  civil  war ;  and  it  is 
possible  that  we  may  shortly  have  a  Republic  of  South 
France."  I  worked  up  this  news  into  paragraphs, 
written  in  the  sense  of  the  foregoing  comment. 

At  4  o'clock  M.  Gauthier,  who  comes  from  Chisle- 
hurst,  called  upon  the  Chancellor. 

Tuesday,  October  Ibtli. — This  morning  the  Chief 
said,  in  reference  to  a  statement  in  the  Pays  mention- 
ing an  indemnity  of  three  and  a  half  milliards  :  "  Non- 
sense !  I  shall  demand  much  more  than  that !  " 

During  dinner  the  subject  of  "  William  Tell "  was 
introduced,  I  cannot  now  remember  how,  and  the 
Minister  confessed  that,  even  as  a  boy,  he  could  not 
endure  that  character ;  first,  because  he  shot  at  his 
own  son,  and  secondly,  because  he  killed  Gessler  in  a 
treacherous  way.  "  It  would  have  been  more  natural 
and  noble  to  my  mind  if,  instead  of  shooting  at  the 
boy,  for  after  all  the  best  archer  might  hit  him  instead 
of  the  apple,  he  had  immediately  shot  down  the 
Governor.  That  would  have  been  legitimate  wrath 
provoked  by  a  cruel  command.     But  the  lurking  and 


Oct.26,  i87o]      A  SAFE  CONDUCT  FOR  THIERS  269 

skulking  is  not  to  my  taste.     It  is  not  the  proper  style 
for  a  hero,  not  even  for  franctireurs." 

Two  copies  of  the  Nouvelliste  are  pasted  up  daily  in 
different  parts  of  the  town,  and  are  read  by  the  people, 
although,  when  a  German  passes  by,  the  group  engaged 
in  perusing  them  greets  him  with  such  criticisms  as, 
"  Mensonges ! "  or  "Impossible!"  One  of  Stieber's 
attendant  spirits,  or  some  other  guardian  of  the  truth, 
caught  a  working  man  to-day  in  the  act  of  writing  the 
word  "  Blague  "  on  one  of  the  copies  posted  up  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Prefecture.  It  is  said  that  he  is 
to  be  transported  to  Germany. 

Wednesday,  October  26th. — In  the  morning  I  trans- 
lated Granville's  despatch  for  the  King,  and  afterwards 
prepared  an  abstract  of  it  for  the  press.  The  latter 
was  accompanied  by  the  remark  that  we  had  already 
twice  offered  the  French  an  armistice  on  favourable 
terms,  once  through  Favre,  and  again,  on  the  9th  of 
October,  through  Burnside,  but  that  they  would  not 
accept  it  because  we  desired  it.  Then  telegraphed  to 
London  that  Thiers  is  receiving  a  safe  conduct  to  our 
headquarters  and  permission  to  proceed  thence  to  Paris. 
Also  that  the  Comte  de  Chambord  had  a  meeting  at 
Coppet  with  the  Comte  de  Paris. 

In  the  evening  I  wrote  another  article  on  the  in- 
structions of  the  Chief  to  the  following  effect.  It  is 
rumoured  that  Vienna  diplomacy  has  again  taken  steps 
to  induce  the  Germans  to  grant  an  armistice.  We  find 
it  difficult  to  credit  this  report.  The  only  advantage 
to  the  French  of  an  armistice  at  the  present  moment 
would  be  to  strengthen  their  resistance  and  to  render 
it  more  difficult  for  us  to  enforce  the  conditions  which 
we  recognise  as  essential.  Can  that  be  the  object 
Austria    has    in    view    in    taking    this   measure  ?     The 


270  METZ  CAPITULATES  [Oct.  28, 1870 

following  considerations  are  of  an  obvious  nature.  If 
the  authorities  in  Vienna  deprive  us  of  the  fruits  of  our 
victory,  if  we  are  prevented  from  securing  that  safe 
western  frontier  which  we  are  striving  to  win,  a  new 
war  with  France  is  unavoidable,  or  rather  the  continua- 
tion of  the  one  thus  interrupted.  It  is  quite  clear 
where  in  such  circumstances  France  would  seek  allies 
and  probably  find  them.  It  is  equally  certain  that  in 
that  case  Germany  would  not  wait  until  the  recovery 
of  France  from  her  present  chaotic  condition,  which 
would  be  promoted  by  a  cessation  of  the  war  now  in 
progress.  Germany  would  be  obliged  to  deal  first  with 
this  future  ally  of  France  and  to  seek  to  render  it 
powerless,  and  the  latter  standing  alone  would  have  to 
bear  the  cost  of  its  own  act  in  preventing  us  from  at- 
taining our  present  object.  In  other  words,  it  might 
then  happen  that  Austria  would  have  to  compensate  us 
by  the  cession  of  Bohemia  for  the  loss  of  Lorraine,  which 
it  once  before  alienated  from  the  German  Empire. 

Friday,  October  1%th. — In  the  afternoon  Moltke 
sent  the  Chief  a  telegram  which  reported  that  the 
capitulation  of  Metz  was  signed  to-day  at  12.45  p.m. 
The  French  army  thus  made  prisoners  number 
in  all  173,000  men,  including  16,000  sick  and 
wounded.  Bennigsen,  Friedenthal,  and  Von  Blanken- 
burg,  a  friend  of  the  Chancellor's  in  his  youth,  joined 
us  at  dinner.  From  the  French  oflBcers  captured  at 
Metz  and  their  approaching  transportation  to  Germany, 
the  conversation  turned  upon  General  Ducrot  and  his 
disgraceful  escape  from  Pont  a  Mousson.  The  Minister 
said  :  "  He  has  written  me  a  long  letter  explaining  that 
there  is  no  foundation  for  the  charge  of  breach  of  faith 
we  have  brought  against  him,  but  he  has  not  materially 
modified  my  view  of  the  case."     The  Chief  then  related 


Oct.  29, 1 870]    A  WHIS T  PARTY  FOR  WILHELMSHOHE        27 1 

that  recently  an  "  intermediary  of  Gambetta's "  had 
called  upon  him,  and  that  towards  the  close  of  the 
conversation  he  asked  whether  we  would  recognise  the 
Kepublic.  "  I  replied,"  continued  the  Chief,  "  certainly, 
without  any  doubt  or  hesitation.  Not  only  the  Re- 
public, but,  if  you  like,  a  Gambetta  dynasty  ;  only  it 
must  secure  us  the  advantages  of  a  safe  peace."  "  Or  for 
the  matter  of  that  any  dynasty,  whether  it  be  a  Bleich- 
roder  or  a  Rothschild  one." 

The  Nouvelliste  is  to  be  stopped,  and  to  be  replaced 
by  a  journal  of  larger  size  bearing  the  title,  Moniteur 
Officiel  de  Seme  et  Oise,  which  will  be  published  at  the 
expense  of  the  Government. 

Saturday,  October  29th. — At  dinner  our  great  suc- 
cess at  Metz  was  discussed.  "  That  exactly  doubles  the 
number  of  our  prisoners,"  said  the  Minister — "no,  it 
does  more.  We  now  have  in  Germany  the  army  which 
Napoleon  had  in  the  field  at  the  time  of  the  battles  of 
Weissenburg,  Worth,  and  Saarbriicken,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  those  whom  we  killed.  The  troops  which 
the  French  now  have  were  afterwards  brought  from 
Algiers  and  Rome,  and  newly  recruited,  together  with  a 
few  thousand  men  under  Vincy  who  made  off  before 
Sedan.  We  have  also  nearly  all  their  generals."  The 
Chief  then  said  Napoleon  had  requested  that  Marshals 
Bazaine,  Leboeuf,  and  Canrobert,  who  had  been  taken 
at  Metz,  should  be  sent  to  him  at  Wilhelmshohe,  The 
Minister  added  :  "  That  would  make  a  whist  party.  I 
have  no  objection,  and  shall  recommend  the  King  to  do 
so."  He  then  went  on  to  say  that  so  many  extra- 
ordinary events  which  no  one  could  have  imagined 
previously  were  now  of  daily  occurrence  that  one  might 
regard  the  most  wonderful  as  being  within  the  range  of 
possibility.       "  Amongst   other    things    it   might   well 


272  LOAFERS  A  T  HEADQUARTERS        [Oct.  29, 1870 

happen  that  we  should  hold  a  German  Reichstag  in 
Versailles,  while  Napoleon  might  summon  the  Legislative 
Chamber  and  the  Senate  to  Cassel  to  consider  the  terms 
of  peace.  Napoleon  is  convinced  that  the  former 
representative  body  is  still  legally  in  existence,  an 
opinion  against  which  there  is  little  to  be  said,  and  that 
he  could  summon  it  to  meet  wherever  he  liked — of 
course,  however,  only  in  France.  Cassel  would  be  a 
debatable  question."  The  Chief  then  said  that  he  had 
invited  the  representatives  of  the  parties  "  with  whom 
it  is  possible  to  discuss  matters  " — Friedenthal,  Bennig- 
sen,  and  Blankenburg — to  come  here  in  order  to 
ascertain  their  views  respecting  a  session  of  our 
Parliament  at  Versailles.  "  I  was  obliged  to  omit  the 
Progressist  party,  as  they  only  desire  what  is  not 
possible.  They  are  like  Russians,  who  eat  cherries  in 
winter  and  want  oysters  in  summer.  When  a  Russian 
goes  into  a  shop  he  asks  for  Kaknje  hud,  that  is  to  say, 
for  what  does  not  exist." 

After  the  first  course  Prince  Albrecht,  the  father, 
came  in  and  took  a  seat  on  the  Chiefs  right.  The  old 
gentleman,  like  a  genuine  Prussian  Prince,  always 
gallant  and  loyal  to  his  duty,  has  pressed  forward  with 
his  cavalry  beyond  Orleans.  He  tells  us  that  the 
engagement  in  Chateaudun  was  "  horrible."  He  warmly 
praised  the  Duke  of  Meiningen,  who  had  also  shirked 
no  danger  or  privation.  On  this  the  Chief  remarked  : 
"  I  have  nothing  to  say  against  Princes  who  go  with 
the  army  and  as  officers  and  leaders  share  the  dangers 
and  hardships  of  the  soldiers.  But  I  should  prefer  to 
see  those  who  loaf  around  here  at  Plickler's  expense, 
and  who  are  mere  spectators  of  the  man-hunt,  anywhere 
rather  than  at  headquarters.  It  is  all  the  more  un- 
pleasant to  me  to  have  them  here,  as  they  storm  me 


Oct.  29, 1870]    BISMARCK'S  WIFE  AND  ''THE  GAULS"      273 


with  questions  and  force  wise  counsels  upon  me  respect- 
ing matters  that  are  in  course  of  development  and 
which  are  now  being  worked  out."  .  ..."  May  I  ask," 
said  the  Prince  (doubtless  to  get  away  from  this  sub- 
ject)," how  the  Countess  is  ?  "  "  Oh,  she  is  quite  well," 
replied  the  Chief,  "  now  that  our  son  is  better.  She 
still  suffers  from  her  ferocious  hatred  of  the  Gauls,  all 
of  whom  she  would  wish  to  see  shot  and  stabbed  to 
death,  down  to  the  little  babies — who  after  all  cannot 
help  having  such  abominable  parents." 


VOL.  I 


CHAPTER  XI 

THIERS    AND    THE    FIRST   NEGOTIATIONS    FOR    AN 
ARMISTICE    AT    VERSAILLES 

On  the  morning  of  the  30th  of  October,  while  taking 
a  walk  along  the  Avenue  de  Saint  Cloud,  I  met 
Bennigsen,  who  was  to  start  for  home  with  Blankenburg 
in  a  few  days.  On  my  asking  what  progress  had  been 
made  in  Germany  with  the  question  of  unity  he  said 
that  the  prospects  were  very  good.  The  only  point 
which  the  Bavarians  still  insisted  upon  was  a  certain 
degree  of  independence  for  their  army.  The  feeling 
amongst  the  majority  of  the  people  was  all  that  could 
be  desired. 

On  my  return  to  the  house  a  little  after  10  o'clock 
Engel  told  me  that  Thiers  had  arrived  shortly  before, 
but  had  left  again  almost  immediately.  He  had  come 
from  Tours,  and  had  only  called  to  get  a  safe  conduct 
through  our  lines,  as  he  wished  to  go  to  Paris.  Hatzfeldt 
had  breakfasted  with  Thiers  at  the  Hotel  des  Peservoirs, 
and  afterwards  saw  him  into  the  carriage,  in  which, 
accompanied  by  Lieutenant  von  Winterfeldt,  he  was 
conducted  to  the  French  outposts.  He  told  us  at  lunch 
that  Thiers  "  still  remained  the  same  bright  witty  old 
gentleman,  but  was  weak  as  a  baby."  Hatzfeldt  had  been 
the  first  to  recognise  him  on  his  calling  at  our  place, 


Oct.  30,1870]  THIERS'  FIRST  VISIT  27^ 

and  told  him  that  tlie  Chief  was  just  getting  up.  He 
then  showed  him  into  the  salon,  and  informed  the 
Minister,  who  hastily  finished  his  toilet  and  shortly  after- 
wards came  down.  They  were,  however,  only  together 
alone  for  a  few  minutes,  the  Chief  then  instructing 
Hatzfeldt  to  make  the  necessary  preparations  for  Thiers' 
visit  to  Paris.  The  Minister  afterwards  told  Hatzfeldt 
that  Thiers  said  to  him  immediately  after  they  had 
exchanged  greetings,  that  he  had  not  come  to  speak  to 
him.  "  That  strikes  me  as  quite  natural,"  added 
Hatzfeldt,  "  as  although  Thiers  would  like  to  conclude 
peace  with  us  (just  because  it  would  be  Thiers'  peace, 
since  he  is  terribly  ambitious)  he  does  not  know  what 
the  people  in  Paris  would  say  to  it." 

In  the  meantime  the  Chief  had  ridden  off  with  his 
cousin  to  the  review  of  9,000  Landwehr  Guards  which 
was  being  held  this  morning  by  the  King.  At  lunch 
the  Chief  referred  to  the  Landwehr,  who  had  arrived 
that  morning,  and  said  they  were  tall,  broad-shouldered 
fellows,  who  must  have  impressed  the  people  of  Ver- 
sailles. "  The  front  of  one  of  their  companies  is  at 
least  five  feet  broader  than  that  of  a  French  company, 
particularly  in  the  Pomeranian  Landwehr."  The 
Minister  then  turned  to  Hatzfeldt,  and  said  :  *'  I  hope 
you  have  not  mentioned  anything  about  Metz  to 
Thiers."  "  No,  and  he  also  said  nothing  about  it, 
although  there  is  no  doubt  that  he  knows."  "  He 
certainly  does,  but  I  did  not  speak  about  it  either." 
Hatzfeldt  then  observed  once  more  that  Thiers  was  very 
charming  in  his  manner,  but  had  lost  nothing  of  his  old 
vanity  and  self-complacency.  As  evidence  of  this 
Hatzfeldt  mentioned  that  Thiers  had  told  him  that  a  few 
days  before  he  met  a  peasant  whom  he  asked  whether  he 
desired  to  see  peace  concluded,  "  Certainly,  very  much," 


276  A  QUAINT  IDEA  [Oct.  31, 1870 


"  Whether  he  knew  who  he  (Thiers)  was  ? "  "  No,"  the 
peasant  replied,  and  appealed  to  a  neighbour  who  had 
come  on  the  scene,  and  who  passed  as  the  oldest  inhabit- 
ant. This  ancient  was  of  opinion  that  M.  Thiers  must 
be  a  member  of  the  Chamber.  Hatzfeldt  added,  "  It 
was  obvious  that  Thiers  was  angry  at  not  being  better 
known." 

The  Chief  went  out  for  a  moment,  and  brought  back 
a  case  containing  a  gold  pen,  which  a  jeweller  of 
Pforzheim  presented  to  him  for  the  purpose  of  signing 
the  Treaty  of  Peace. 

At  dinner  the  Chief  again  spoke  at  some  length  of 
the  possibility  of  holding  a  Session  of  the  German 
Reichstag  at  Versailles,  while  the  French  Legislative 
Chamber  should  at  the  same  time  meet  at  Cassel. 
Delbrlick  observed  that  the  hall  of  the  Diet  at  Cassel 
would  not  be  large  enough  for  such  an  assembly.  "Well 
then,"  said  the  Chief,  "  the  Senate  could  meet  some- 
where else — in  Marburg  or  Fritzlar,  or  some  similar 
town." 

Monday,  October  2>\st. — In  the  morning  wrote  some 
articles,  one  of  which  advocated  the  idea  of  an  inter- 
national court  for  the  trial  of  those  who  had  instigated 


'O" 


this  war  against  us.  Also  directed  attention  to  the  case 
of  M.  Hermieux,  the  commandant  of  a  French  battalion, 
who  like  Ducrot  had  broken  his  word  by  making  his 
escape  from  hospital,  and  whose  description  was  now 
published  in  the  newspapers. 

Gauthier  called  again  at  12  o'clock,  and  had  another 
long  interview  with  the  Chief. 

Hatzfeldt  announced  at  tea  that  on  paying  a  visit 
early  in  the  evening  at  the  Hotel  des  Reservoirs  he 
learned  by  accident  that  M.  Thiers  had  returned,  and 
he   had  afterwards  spoken  to  him.      Thiers   informed 


Oct.sr,  1870]     GERMAN  PRISONERS  IN  FRANCE  277 

him  that  on  the  day  before  he  had  been  engaged  from 
10  o'clock  at  nioiht  until  3  in  the  morning  in  nego- 
tiating  with  the  members  of  the  Provisional  Govern- 
ment ;  he  rose  again  at  6  a.m.  and  from  that  time 
until  2  in  the  afternoon  received  visitors  of  all  descrip- 
tions, after  which  he  drove  back  here.  He  wishes  to 
have  a  conference  with  the  Chancellor  to-morrow.  "  He 
began  to  speak  of  disturbances  having  taken  place 
yesterday  in  Paris,"  continued  Hatzfeldt,  "  but  on  an 
exclamation  of  surprise  escaping  me  he  immediately 
changed  the  subject." 

In  the  evening  I  was  instructed  to  see  that  the 
decree  addressed  to  Vogel  von  Falkenstein  and  published 
in  the  Staatsanzeiger  of  the  27th  instant,  was  reproduced 
by  our  other  papers.  It  was  to  be  accompanied  by 
a  collection  of  newspaper  reports  respecting  the  ill- 
treatment  of  German  prisoners  by  the  French.  I  then 
began  a  second  article  against  Beust's  intervention  in 
our  quarrel  with  the  French,  based  on  the  suggestions 
of  the  Chief,  who  said  it  was  to  be  "  very  sharply 
worded."  This  however  was  not  sent  off,  as  the  situa- 
tion altered  in  the  meantime.  I  reproduce  the  article 
here  as  being  characteristic  of  the  position  of  affairs  at 
the  moment.     It  ran  as  follows  : — 

"  If  in  a  struggle  between  two  Powers,  one  of  whom 
proves  obviously  weaker  and  is  at  length  on  the  point 
of  being  defeated,  a  third  Power,  which  has  hitherto 
been  neutral,  urges  an  armistice,  its  motive  must  cer- 
tainly be  regarded  less  as  a  benevolent  desire  for  the 
welfare  of  both  parties  than  as  anxiety  for  the  weaker 
State  and  as  evident  partisanship  in  favour  of  the  same. 
It  is,  in  fact,  an  armistice  in  favour  of  the  Power  that  is 
on  the  point  of  being  defeated,  and  to  the  disadvantage 
of  that  which  has  won  the   upper   hand.      If  this   third 


57§  THE  ATTITUDE  OF  AUSTRIA       [Oct.  31, 1870 

Power  furthermore  endeavours  to  induce  other  neutral 
States  to  take  similar  action,  thus  strengthening  and 
giving  more  weight  to  its  own  proposal,  then  it  is 
clearly  departing  still  further  from  a  neutral  attitude. 
Its  one-sided  warnings  are  transformed  into  partisan 
pressure,  its  proceedings  become  intrigues,  and  its  whole 
action  presents  an  appearance  of  threatened  violence. 

"  This  is  the  case  with  Austria-Hungary  if  it  be 
true,  as  the  Vienna  official  organs  boast,  that  it  has 
taken  the  initiative  in  an  attempt  of  the  neutral  Powers 
to  negotiate  an  armistice  between  defeated  France  and 
victorious  Germany.  The  conduct  of  Count  Beust 
becomes  more  clearly  offensive  when  it  is  known  that  it 
was  suggested  by  M.  Chaudordy,  Favre's  representative 
at  Tours,  and  originated  in  a  previous  understanding 
between  the  Vienna  Cabinet  and  the  Delegation  of  the 
Provisional  Government  in  that  city.  The  true  char- 
acter of  this  action  on  the  part  of  Austro-Hungarian 
diplomacy  as  a  hostile  interference  in  our  settlement 
^vith  France  becomes  more  manifest  from  the  manner  in 
which  its  representative  in  Berlin  supports  the  English 
suggestions.  The  British  Foreign  Office  adopts  a  tone 
of  perfect  impartiality,  and  of  benevolence  towards 
Germany ;  the  Italians  do  the  same,  while  the  Russian 
-representative  has  kept  entirely  aloof  from  all  inter- 
vention. All  three  Powers  have  done  their  utmost  at 
Tours  to  promote  an  unprejudiced  and  reasonable  view 
of  the  situation  on  the  part  of  the  French.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  despatches  read  by  Herr  von  Wimplfen 
in  Berlin  (we  do  not  know  what  Austria-Hungary  has 
advised  at  Tours)  speak  in  a  tone  which  is  anything  but 
friendly.  They  emphasise  the  statement  that  Vienna 
still  believes  in  general  European  interests.  The  au- 
thorities   there    fear  that  history   would  condemn  the 


Oct.3i,  i87o]     BEUST'S  HOSTILE  INTENTIONS  279 


neutral  Powers  if  the  catastrophe  which  is  threatening 
Paris  were  to  occur  without  a  voice  being  raised  on 
their  part  to  avert  it.  It  is  evidently  intended  as  a 
severe  and  offensive  censure  when  they  say  humanity 
demands  that  the  conditions  of  peace  should  be  made 
less  onerous  for  the  vanquished,  but  that  Germany  will 
not  permit  any  voice  to  reach  the  ears  of  its  defeated 
foe  except  that  which  proclaims  the  commands  of  the 
victor.  The  whole  despatch  is  characterised  throughout 
by  a  vein  of  irony  which  distinguishes  it  in  a  manner 
little  to  its  advantage  from  that  of  the  English  Govern- 
ment. 

"  From  all  these  circumstances  it  is  as  clear  that  the 
action  of  Count  Beust  is  guided  by  hostile  intentions 
towards  us  as  that  Lord  Granville's  attitude  is  based  on 
good  will.  We  wonder  if  the  Vienna  Chancellor  well 
considered  the  possible  consequences  of  this  new 
manoeuvre.  It  is  not  probable  after  the  fall  of  Metz 
that  the  attempt  made  by  Austria  to  hinder  Germany 
in  the  complete  attainment  of  that  peace  which  we  have 
in  view  with  the  object  of  securing  a  safe  Western 
frontier  will  be  successful.  But  we  shall  remember 
that  attempts  to  prejudice  our  interests  and  the  good 
impression  made  in  Germany  by  the  previous  neutrality 
of  Austria-Hungary  will  be  destroyed,  and  a  friendly 
rap])rochement  with  the  dual  monarchy,  a  basis  for 
which  was  being  laid,  will  be  postponed — probably  for 
a  considerable  time.  But  let  us  consider  another 
possibility.  Take  it  that  through  the  intervention  of 
Count  Beust  the  demands  which  we  make  upon  France 
are  curtailed,  and  that  we  are  actually  obliged  to  re- 
nounce a  portion  of  the  old  and  new  debts  which  we 
are  on  the  point  of  collecting — does  the  Chancellor  of 
the  Austro-Hungarian  Empire  believe  that  we  shall  not 


28o  NO  QUARTER  FOR  FRANCTIREURS      [Nov.  i,  1870 


remember  at  the  first  opportunity  to  make  our  ill- 
disposed  neighbour  on  the  South-East  compensate  us 
for  what  he  helped  to  deprive  us  of  in  the  West  ?  Does 
he  believe  that  we  shall  foolishly  put  off  the  day  of 
reckoning  with  a  neighbour  w^ho  takes  every  oppor- 
tunity of  displaying  his  hostility,  until  his  French 
'protege  has  recovered  sufficiently  to  give  him  the 
support  of  a  more  valuable  alliance  in  gratitude  for  the 
assistance  given  against  Germany  ?  " 

Tuesday,  November  \st. — At  dinner  Bohlen  reported 
that  the  Coburger  is  doing  his  utmost  to  create  a  feeling 
of  discontent — he  says  nothing  happens,  nothing  is 
being  done,  no  progress  is  being  made.  "  What  ! 
He ! "  exclaimed  the  Chief,  with  an  indescribable 
expression  of  contempt  on  his  features.  "  He  should 
be  ashamed  of  himself.  These  Princes  that  follow 
the  army  like  a  flight  of  vultures  !  These  carrion 
crows,  who  themselves  do  nothing  whatever  except 
inspect  the  battle-fields,  &c."  Some  one  then  spoke 
of  the  last  engagement,  and  said  that  a  portion  of 
the  1200  prisoners  that  had  been  taken  were 
franctireurs.  "  Prisoners  !  "  broke  in  the  Chief,  who 
still  seemed  to  be  extremely  angry.  "  Why  do  they 
continue  to  make  prisoners  ?  They  should  have  shot 
down  the  whole  1200  one  after  the  other." 

Mention  was  made  of  the  decree  of  the  Minister  of 
War  or  of  the  Commandant  of  the  Town,  ordering  that 
particulars  should  be  published  of  all  valuables  found 
in  houses  deserted  by  their  owners,  and  that  if  not  re- 
claimed within  a  certain  time  they  were  to  be  confis- 
cated for  the  benefit  of  the  war  chest.  The  Minister 
said  that  he  considered  this  decree  to  be  perfectly 
justified,  adding  :  "  As  a  matter  of  fact  such  houses 
should  be  burned  to  the  ground,  only  that  punishment 


Nov.  I,  1870]         THIERS'  LOOK  OF  SURPRISE  281 

would  also  fall  in  part  on  the  sensible  people  who  have 
remained  behind ;  and  so  unfortunately  it  is  out  of  the 
question."  The  Chief  then  observed,  after  a  pause, 
and  apparently  without  any  connection  with  what  had 
been  previously  said  :  "  After  all,  war  is,  properly 
speaking,  the  natural  condition  of  humanity."  He 
remained  silent  for  a  while,  and  then  remarked :  "It 
just  occurs  to  me  that  the  Bavarian  proposes  to  surprise 
me  to-day,"  by  which  he  meant  that  Count  Bray  was 
about  to  visit  him.  This  led  the  conversation  to  the 
Bavarian  Ambassador  in  Berlin,  Pergler  von  Perglas,  of 
whom  the  Chief  does  not  appear  to  have  a  high  opinion. 
"  He  is  as  bad  as  he  can  be.  I  do  not  say  that  because 
he  is  a  Particularist,  as  I  do  not  know  how  I  should 
think  myself  if  I  were  a  Bavarian.  But  he  has  always 
been  in  favour  of  the  French."  (The  Minister  main- 
tained, if  I  heard  him  rightly,  that  this  was  owing  to 
his  wife.)  "  I  never  tell  him  anything  when  he  comes 
to  me,  or  at  least  not  the  truth." 

Shortly  afterwards  the  Chief  told  us  that  Thiers 
had  been  with  him  for  about  three  hours  to-day  with 
the  object  of  negotiating  an  armistice.  Probably  how- 
ever it  would  not  be  possible  to  come  to  an  under- 
standing as  to  the  conditions  which  he  proposes  or  is 
prepared  to  grant.  Once  during  the  conversation 
Thiers  wished  to  speak  of  the  supply  of  provisions  now 
in  Paris ;  but  the  Minister  interrupted  him,  saying, 
"  Excuse  me,  but  we  know  that  better  than  you  who 
have  only  been  in  the  city  for  one  day.  Their  store  of 
provisions  is  sufficient  to  last  until  the  end  of  January." 
"  What  a  look  of  surprise  he  gave  me  !  My  remark 
was  only  a  feeler,  and  his  astonisnment  showed  that 
what  I  had  said  was  not  true." 

At  dessert  the  Minister  spoke  of  the  large  quantity 


282  THIERS  AS  A  NEGOTIATOR  [Nov.  2,  1870 


he  had  eaten.  "  But  then  it  is  my  only  meal.  It  is 
true  I  take  breakfast,  but  then  it  is  merely  a  cup  of 
tea  without  milk  and  two  eggs, — and  after  that  nothing 
till  evening.  Then  I  over-eat  myself,  like  a  boa-con- 
strictor, and  can't  sleep.  Even  as  a  child,  and  ever 
since  that  time,  I  have  always  gone  to  bed  late,  never 
before  midnight.  I  usually  fall  asleep  quickly,  but 
wake  soon  again  and  find  that  it  is  not  more  than  half- 
past  1  o'clock.  All  sorts  of  things  then  come  into 
my  head,  particularly  if  I  have  been  unfairly  treated, — 
and  that  must  be  all  thought  out.  I  afterwards  write 
letters,  and  even  despatches,  but  of  course  without 
getting  up — simply  in  my  head.  Formerly,  for  some 
time  after  my  appointment  as  Minister,  I  used  to  get 
up  and  actually  write  them  down.  When  I  read  them 
over  next  morning  however  they  were  worth  nothing, — 
mere  platitudes,  confused  trivial  stuff  such  as  might 
have  appeared  in  the  Vossische  Zeitung,  or  might  have 
been  composed  by  his  Serene  Highness  of  Weimar. 
I  do  not  want  to,  I  should  prefer  to  sleej).  But  the 
thinking  and  planning  goes  on.  At  the  first  glimmer 
of  dawn  I  fall  off"  again,  and  then  sleep  till  10  o'clock 
or  even  later." 

Wednesday,  November  2nd. — On  returning  from  a 
long  walk  at  about  4.30  p.m.  I  heard  that  Thiers  had 
remained  with  the  Chief  until  a  few  minutes  before, 
and  looked  rather  pleased  on  taking  his  leave.  During 
dinner  the  Minister  observed,  referring  to  his  visitor  of 
to-day  :  "  He  is  a  clever  and  amiable  man,  bright  and 
witty,  but  with  scarcely  a  trace  of  the  diplomatist — 
too  sentimental  for  that  trade."  "  He  is  unquestionably 
a  finer  nature  than  Favre.  But  he  is  no  good  as  a 
negotiator  {Unte^'hdndler) — not  even  as  a  horsedealer 
[Pferdelidndler)y      "  He  is  too  easily  bluffed,  betrays 


Nov.  3, 1870]  AN  AMERICAN  PRECEDENT  283 

his  feelings,  and  allows  himself  to  be  pumped.  Thus 
I  have  ascertained  all  sorts  of  things  from  him,  amongst 
others  that  they  have  only  full  rations  in  Paris  for 
three  or  four  weeks." 

With  respect  to  our  attitude  towards  the  approach- 
ing French  elections,  I  called  attention  in  the  press  to 
the  following  example,  which  may  decide  us  to  exclude 
Alsace  Lorraine  from  the  voting,  and  to  which  we  can 
refer  those  who  allege  such  an  exclusion  to  be  unprece- 
dented. An  American  informs  us  that  in  the  last  war 
between  the  United  States  and  Mexico  an  armistice  was 
agreed  upon  with  the  object  of  giving  the  Mexicans  time 
to  choose  a  new  Government,  which  should  conclude 
peace  with  the  United  States.  The  provinces,  the 
cession  of  which  was  demanded  by  the  United  States, 
were  not  permitted  to  take  part  in  this  election.  This 
is  the  sole  precedent,  but  it  entirely  covers  the  present 
case. 

Thursday,  November  Srd. — A  fine  bright  morning. 
Already  at  7  a.m.  the  iron  lions  on  Mont  Valerien  began 
to  fill  the  surrounding  wooded  valleys  with  their 
roaring. 

I  make  abstracts  for  the  King  of  two  articles  that 
appeared  in  the  Morning  Post  of  the  28th  and  29th  of 
October,  which  are  understood  to  have  come  from 
Persigny  or  Prince  Napoleon.  The  assertion  in  these 
articles  that  in  the  negotiations  with  the  delegate  of  the 
Empress  our  demand  extended  only  to  Strassburg,  and 
a  narrow  strip  of  land  in  the  Saar  district,  with  about  a 
quarter  of  a  million  inhabitants,  is  (the  Chief  tells  me) 
based  on  a  misunderstanding. 

I  am  instructed  to  telegraph  that  in  consequence  of 
yesterday's  negotiations  the  Chancellor  has  offered  M. 
Thiers  a  truce  of  twenty-five  days  on  the  basis  of  the 


284  THE  BERLINERS  [Nov.  3, 1870 

military  status  quo.     Thiers  returned  at  12  o'clock,  and 
negotiated  with  the  Chief  until  2.30  p.m.     The  demands 
of  the  French  are  exorbitant.     At  lunch  we  hear  that 
in  addition  to   a  twenty-eight  days'   armistice  for  the 
elections  and  the   meeting  of  the  National  Assembly 
thus  chosen  to  determine  the  position  of  the  Provisional 
Grovernment,  they  demand  nothing  less  than  the  right 
to  provision  Paris  and  all  other  fortresses  held  by  them 
and  besieged  by  us,  and  the  participation  of  the  Eastern 
provinces,    of    which    we   require    the   cession    in   the 
elections.     Ordinary  logic  finds  it  difficult  to  conceive 
how  the  provisioning  of  fortresses  can  be  deemed  con- 
sistent with  the  maintenance  of  the  military  status  quo. 
Amongst  other  subjects  discussed  at  dinner  were  the 
elections  in  Berlin.     Delbriick  was  of  opinion  that  they 
would  be  more  favourable  than  hitherto.    Jacoby,  at  any 
rate,  would  not  be  re-elected.     Count  Bismarck-Bohlen 
thought    otherwise.     He  anticipated  no  change.     The 
Chancellor  said :    "  The  Berliners  must   always    be   in 
opposition  and  have  their  own  ideas.  They  have  their  vir- 
tues— many  and  highly  estimable  ones — they  fight  well, 
but  they  would  not  consider  themselves  to  be  as  clever 
as  they  ought  to  be  unless  they  knew  everything  better 
than  the  Government."     That  failing,  however,  was  not 
confined  to  Berliners,  the  Chief  added.    All  great  cities 
were  much  the  same  in  that  respect,  and  many  were  even 
worse  than  Berlin.     They  were  in  general  more  unprac- 
tical than  the  rural  districts,  where  people  were  in  closer 
contact  with  nature,  and  thus  not  only  got  into  a  more 
natural  and  practical  way  of  thinking.     "  Where  great 
numbers  of  men  are  crowded  together  they  easily  lose 
their  individuality  and  dissolve  into  one  mass.    All  sorts 
of  opinions  are  in  the  air,  they  arise  from  hearsay  and 
repetition,  and  are  little  or  not  at  all  founded  on  facts, 


Nov.4,  i87o]  LONDON  COCKNEYS  285 


but  are  propagated  by  the  newspapers,  popular  meetings 
and  conversations  over  beer,  and  then  remain  firmly, 
immutably  rooted.  It  is  a  sort  of  false  second  nature,  a 
faith  or  superstition  held  collectively  by  the  masses. 
They  reason  themselves  into  believing  in  something 
that  does  not  exist,  consider  themselves  in  duty  bound 
to  hold  to  that  belief,  and  wax  enthusiastic  over  narrow- 
minded  and  grotesque  ideas.  That  is  the  case  in  all 
great  cities,  in  London  for  instance,  where  the  cockneys 
are  quite  a  different  race  to  other  Englishmen — in 
Copenhagen,  in  New  York,  and  above  all  in  Paris.  The 
Parisians,  with  their  political  superstitions,  are  quite  a 
distinct  people  in  France, — they  are  caught  and  bound 
up  in  a  circle  of  ideas  which  are  a  sacred  tradition  to 
them,  although  when  closely  examined  they  turn  out  to 
be  mere  empty  phrases." 

So  far  as  Thiers  was  concerned,  the  Minister  only 
told  us  that  shortly  after  the  commencement  of  their 
conference  to-day  he  suddenly  asked  him  whether  he 
had  obtained  the  authority  necessary  for  the  continuance 
of  the  negotiations.  "  He  looked  at  me  in  astonishment, 
on  which  I  said  that  news  had  been  received  at  our  out- 
posts of  a  revolution  having  broken  out  in  Paris  since 
his  departure,  and  that  a  new  Government  had  been 
proclaimed.  He  was  visibly  perturbed,  from  which  it 
may  be  inferred  that  he  considers  a  victory  of  the  Eed 
Republicans  as  possible,  and  the  position  of  Favre  and 
Trochu  as  insecure." 

Thiers  was  again  with  the  Chief  from  9  o'clock  till 
after  10. 

Friday,  November  Uh. — Beautiful  bright  morning. 
At  the  desire  of  the  Minister  I  send  the  Daily  Neivs  an 
account  of  his  conversation  with  Napoleon  at  Donchery. 
He  had  principally  conversed  with  the  Emperor  within 


286  THE  PROPOSED  BOMBARDMENT    [Nov,  4,  1870 


the  weaver  s  house,  upstairs — for  about  three-quarters  of 
an  hour — and  spent  but  a  short  time  with  him  in  the 
open  air,  as  the  Minister  himself  stated  in  his  official 
report  to  the  King.  Furthermore,  in  speaking  to 
Napoleon,  he  had  not  pointed  the  forefinger  of  the  left 
hand  into  the  palm  of  his  right,  which  was  not  at  all  a 
habit  of  his.  He  had  not  once  made  use  of  the  German 
language  in  speaking  to  the  Emperor — he  had  never 
done  so,  and  also  not  on  that  occasion.  "I  did,  however," 
the  Minister  continued,  "  speak  German  to  the  people  of 
the  house,  as  the  man  understood  a  little  and  the  woman 
spoke  it  very  well." 

From  1 1  o'clock  onwards  Thiers  conferred  once  more 
with  the  Chancellor.  He  yesterday  sent  his  companion, 
a  M.  Cochery,  back  to  Paris,  to  ascertain  if  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  4th  of  September  still  existed.  The  answer 
appears  to  have  been  in  the  affirmative. 

Bamberger  dined  with  us.  The  Chief  said,  amongst 
other  things :  "I  see  that  some  newspapers  hold  me 
responsible  that  Paris  has  not  yet  been  bombarded.  I 
do  not  want  anything  serious  to  be  done,  I  object  to  a 
bombardment.  Nonsense !  They  will  ultimately  make 
me  responsible  for  our  losses  during  the  siege,  which  are 
certainly  already  considerable,  as  we  have  probably  lost 
more  men  in  these  small  engagements  than  a  general 
attack  would  have  cost  us.  I  wanted  the  city  to  be 
stormed  at  once,  and  have  all  along  desired  that  to  be 
done — or  it  would  have  been  still  better  to  have  left 
Paris  on  one  side  and  continued  our  march." 

Thiers  was  once  more  with  the  Chief  from  9  p.m. 
until  after  11  o'clock.  While  they  were  conferring  a 
telegram  arrived  announcing  that  Beust  has  abandoned 
his  former  attitude  in  so  far  as  he  declares  that  if  Eussia 
raises  objections  to  the  Prussian  demands  upon  France, 


Nov.  5,  1870]  THE  SERENE  HIGHNESSES  287 


Austria  will  do   the   same,    but   otherwise   not.     This 
telegram  was  at  once  sent  in  to  the  Chief, 

Saturday,  November  5th. — About  1  o'clock  there 
was  a  short  conference  between  the  Chancellor,  Delbriick, 
and  other  German  Ministers.  We  afterwards  ascertained 
that  the  Chief  reported  the  result  of  his  negotiations 
with  Thiers,  and  also  announced  the  impending  arrival 
of  the  German  Sovereigns  not  yet  represented  at 
Versailles. 

On  our  sitting  down  to  dinner  Delbriick  was  at  first 
the  only  Minister  present.  Later  on  we  were  joined  by 
the  Chancellor,  who  had  dined  with  the  King.  While 
Engel  was  pouring  him  out  a  glass  of  spirits  the  Chief 
recalled  a  pretty  dictum.  Recently  a  general  (if  I  am 
not  mistaken  it  was  at  Ferrieres,  and  I  fancy  I  heard 
the  name  of  the  great  thinker,  Moltke),  speaking  of  the 
various  beverages  of  mankind,  laid  down  the  following 
principle : — "  Red  wine  for  children,  champagne  for 
men,  and  brandy  for  generals." 

The  Chancellor,  who  had  been  dining  with  the  King, 
joined  us  in  the  evening  and  complained  to  Delbriick  of 
the  way  in  which  he  had  been  beset  at  the  King's 
quarters  by  the  Princes,  who  prevented  him  from  die- 
cussing  something  of  importance  with  Kutusow.  "  I 
really  could  not  talk  to  him  properly.  The  Serene 
Highnesses  fluttered  about  me  like  crows  round  a 
screech-owl,  and  tore  me  away  from  him.  Each  of 
them  seemed  to  delight  in  being  able  to  buttonhole  me 
longer  than  the  others.  At  length  I  asked  Prince 
Charles  if  he  could  not  get  his  brother-in-law  to  wait 
until  I  had  finished  what  I  had  to  say  to  Kutusoff,  as 
it  was  an  important  matter  of  State.  But  although  I 
have  often  spoken  to  him  previously  in  the  same  sense 
he  did  not  seem  to  understand  me,  and  the  end  of  it 


288  NAPOLEON'S  LACK  OF  COURAGE     [Nov.  5, 1870 

was  that  he  took  offence."  ...  "At  last  they  heard  that 
the  leg  or  the  back  of  the  old  coronation  chair  had  been 
discovered  in  one  of  the  other  rooms,  and  they  all 
trooped  off  to  inspect  the  wonder,  while  I  took  this 
opportunity  to  bolt."  At  that  moment  a  despatch  was 
delivered  stating  that  Favre  and  the  other  members  of 
the  Government  in  Paris  had  once  more  got  on  the  high 
horse,  and  proclaimed  that  they  would  not  hear  of  a 
cession  of  territory,  and  that  their  sole  task  was 
the  defence  of  the  fatherland.  The  Chief  observed : 
"  Well,  then,  we  need  not  negotiate  any  further  with 
Thiers." 

Later  on  the  Minister  said  that  Thiers  probably  still 
intended  to  write  another  historical  work.  "  Time  after 
time  he  spins  out  our  negotiation  by  introducing  ir- 
relevant matters.  He  relates  what  has  occurred  or  been 
advised  here  and  there,  inquires  as  to  the  attitude  of 
this  or  that  person,  and  what  would  have  happened  in 
such  and  such  circumstances.  He  reminded  me  of  a 
conversation  I  had  with  the  Due  de  Bauffremont  in  the 
year  1867,  in  the  course  of  which  I  said  that  in  1866 
the  Emperor  had  not  understood  how  to  take  advantage 
of  the  situation,  that  he  could  have  done  a  good  stroke 
of  business  although  not  on  German  soil,  &c.  Roughly 
that  is  quite  correct.  I  remember  it  very  well.  It  was 
in  the  gardens  of  the  Tuileries,  and  a  military  band  was 
playing.  In  the  summer  of  1866  Napoleon  lacked 
courage  to  do  what  he  ought  to  have  done  from  his 
point  of  view.     When  we  attacked  Austria  he  should 

have  occupied ,  the  object  of  the  Benedetti  proposal, 

and  held  it  as  a  pledge.  We  could  not  have  prevented 
him  at  that  time,  and  most  probably  England  would 
not  have  stirred — in  any  case  he  could  have  waited.  If 
the  coup  succeeded  he  might  have  placed  himself  back 


Nov.  7,  1870]      A   LETTER  FROM   THE   COUNTESS  289 


to  back  with  us,  encouraging  us  to  further  aggression. 
But  (turning  to  Delbrtick,  first  leaning  a  little  forward 
and  then  sitting  straight  upright,  a  habit  of  his  on  such 
occasions),  he  is  and  remains  a  muddle-headed  fellow." 

Thiers,  after  having  had  a  conversation  with  Favre 
and  Ducrot  on  the  bridge  of  Sevres,  returned  and  had 
another  conference  with  the  Chief  which  lasted  from 
8.30  to  9.30.  Favre  and  Ducrot  had  declared  that  our 
conditions  for  an  armistice  could  not  be  accepted,  but 
that  they  would  ascertain  the  opinions  of  their  col- 
leagues, and  bring  Thiers  a  definite  answer  to-morrow. 

Sunday,  November  6th. — The  Chief  read  to  us  at 
dinner  a  portion  of  his  wife's  letter  which  was  to  the 
following  effect  : — "  I  fear  you  will  not  be  able  to  find  a 
Bible  in  France,  and  so  I  shall  shortly  send  you  the  Psalms 
in  order  that  you  may  read  the  prophecies  against  the 
French — '  I  tell  thee,  the  godless  shall  be  destroyed  ! '  " 
The  Minister  had  also  received  a  "despairing  letter" 
from  Count  Herbert,  whose  wound  was  now  healed, 
because  he  had  been  transferred  to  a  depot.  "  He  says 
that  all  he  has  had  out  of  the  whole  war  has  been  a 
fortnight's  ride  with  his  regiment  and  then  three 
months  on  his  back.  I  wished  to  see  whether  anything 
could  be  done,  and  to-day  I  met  the  Minister  of  War. 
He  dissuaded  me,  however,  with  tears  in  his  eyes — he 
had  once  interfered  in  a  similar  way  and  lost  his  son  in 
consequence." 

Monday,  November  7  th. — Early  in  the  morning  the 
Chief  instructs  me  to  telegraph  to  London  :  "In  the 
negotiations  with  M.  Thiers,  which  lasted  for  five  days, 
he  was  offered  an  armistice  of  any  duration  up  to  twenty- 
eight  days  on  the  basis  of  the  military  status  quo,  for 
the  purpose  of  holding  elections,  which  should  also  be 
allowed  to  take  place  in  the  portions  of  France  occupied 
VOL.   I  u 


290       THIERS  BREAKS    OFF  NEGOTIATIONS    [Nov.  7,  1870 

by  the  German  troops ;  or,  as  an  alternative,  our  assist- 
ance and  sanction  for  holding  the  elections  without  a 
truce.  After  a  renewed  conference  with  the  Paris 
Government  at  the  outposts,  M.  Thiers  was  not  author- 
ised to  accept  either  of  these  offers.  He  demanded 
first  of  all  permission  to  provision  Paris,  without 
offering  any  military  equivalent.  As  this  proposal 
could  not  be  accepted  by  the  Germans  on  military 
grounds,  M.  Thiers  yesterday  received  instructions  from 
Paris  to  break  off  the  negotiations." 

The  following  particulars  have  been  ascertained 
from  other  sources  :  The  instruction  referred  to,  was 
received  by  Thiers  in  the  form  of  a  curt  letter  from 
Favre  desiring  him  to  return  to  Tours,  whither  he  has 
gone,  to-day.  The  Chancellor  tells  me  that  Thiers  was 
very  depressed  at  the  foolish  obstinacy  of  the  Paris 
Government,  of  which  both  he  himself  and  several  of 
the  Ministers  disapprove.  Favre  and  Picard,  particu- 
larly the  latter,  are  desirous  of  peace,  but  are  too  weak 
to  withstand  the  opposition  of  the  others.  Gambetta 
and  Trochu  will  not  hear  of  the  elections,  which  would 
in  all  probability  put  an  end  to  their  rule. 

I  write  articles  to  the  following  effect :  We  were 
prepared  to  do  everything  possible,  but  all  our  conces- 
sions were  rejected  owing  to  the  ambition  of  MM.  Favre 
and  Trochu,  who  do  not  want  to  be  forced  by  the  true 
representatives  of  the  French  people  to  give  up  the 
power  which  fell  into  their  hands  through  an  insurrec- 
tion. It  is  that  ambition  alone  which  prolongs  the  war. 
We,  on  the  other  hand,  have  shown  that  we  desire 
peace,  by  carrying  our  complaisance  to  the  utmost 
point. 

The  postponement  of  the  bombardment  was  again 
discussed  at  dinner.     The  Chancellor  said  he  could  not 


Nov.  7,  1870]      THE   QUESTION   OF  BOMBARDMENT         291 

understand  the  absurd  rumour  circulated  in  the  news- 
papers, to  the  effect  that  he  was  opposed  to  the  bom- 
bardment while  the  military  authorities  were  pressing 
for  it.  "  Exactly  the  contrary  is  the  case.  No  one  is 
more  urgent  in  favour  of  it  than  I  am,  and  it  is  the 
military  authorities  who  hesitate.  A  great  deal  of  my 
correspondence  is  taken  up  in  dispelling  the  scruples 
and  excessive  circumspection  of  the  military  people. 
It  appears  that  the  artillery  are  constantly  requiring 
more  time  for  preparation  and  particularly  a  larger 
supply  of  ammunition.  At  Strassburg,  they  also  asked 
for  much  more  than  was  necessary,  as  notwithstanding 
the  foolish  waste  of  powder  and  shell,  two-thirds  of  the 
supply  collected  was  never  used."  Alten  objected  that 
even  if  the  forts  in  question  were  captured  they  would 
be  then  subjected  to  the  fire  from  the  enceinte,  and  we 
should  have  to  begin  over  again.  "  That  may  be,"  said 
the  Minister,  "  but  they  ought  to  have  known  that 
sooner,  as  there  was  no  fortress  we  knew  so  much  about 
from  the  commencement  as  Paris," 

Somebody  remarked  that  in  the  two  balloons  that 
had  been  seized  five  persons  had  been  taken  prisoners. 
The  Chief  considered  that  they  ought  to  be  treated  as 
spies  without  any  lengthy  deliberation.  Alten  said  they 
would  be  brought  up  before  a  court-martial,  whereupon 
the  Minister  exclaimed,  "  Well,  nothing  will  happen  to 
them  there  ! "     He  then  observed  how  stout  and  strong 

o 

Count  Bill  was.  At  his  age  he  himself  was  slight  and 
thin.  "  At  Gottingen  I  was  as  thin  as  a  knitting- 
needle."  Mention  having  been  made  of  the  circumstance 
that  the  sentry  posted  outside  the  villa  occupied  by  the 
Crown  Prince  had  been  shot  at  and  wounded  the  night 
before,  and  that  the  town  would  be  obliged  to  pay  him 
five  thousand  francs  as  compensation,  the  Chief  said  that 

u  2 


292     "  THE  FIRST  FOREIGN  OFFICE  OF  THE   WORLD'' 

in  going  out  in  the  evening  he  would  not  take  his  sword 
but  rather  a  revolver — "  as  although  in  certain  circum- 
stances I  should  be  quite  willing  to  let  myself  be 
murdered,  I  should  not  like  to  die  unavenged." 

After  dinner  I  was  instructed  by  the  Chancellor  to 
again  telegraph  an  account  of  the  negotiations  with 
Thiers,  only  in  a  somewhat  different  form.  On  my 
venturing  to  observe  that  the  contents  of  the  despatch 
had  been  telegraphed  in  the  morning  he  replied,  "  Not 
quite  accurately;  you  see  here  '  Count  Bismarck  proposed, 
&c.'  You  must  notice  such  fine  shades  if  you  want  to 
work  in  the  first  Foreign  Office  of  the  world." 

Tuesday,  November  8th.- — In  the  morning  I  sent  off 
a  telegram  stating  that  the  prisoners  taken  in  the 
balloons  have  been  transported  to  a  Prussian  fortress  in 
order  to  be  tried  there  by  court-martial.  Furthermore 
that  the  confiscated  letters  compromised  diplomats  and 
other  personages  who  have  been  permitted  to  remain  in 
communication  with  the  outer  world  out  of  consideration 
for  their  position  and  sense  of  honour.  Such  communi- 
cation would  no  longer  be  tolerated. 

At  about  12.30  p.m.,  while  we  were  at  lunch,  the 
Chief  received  a  visit  from  Archbishop  Ledochowski  of 
Posen,  and  it  was  understood  that  his  business  was  to 
submit  an  offer  of  the  Pope  to  intervene  with  the  French 
Government.  They  probably  hope  in  this  way  to 
purchase  the  intervention  of  the  German  Government  on 
behalf  of  the  Holy  Father.  The  Archbishop  remained 
till  nearly  3  o'clock,  and  on  his  leaving  the  Chief  went 
to  see  the  King.  He  subsequently  took  dinner  at  the 
Crown  Prince's,  where  the  Grand  Duke  of  Baden,  who 
had  arrived  in  the  meantime,  also  dined. 

Delbriick,  General  Chauvin,  and  Colonel  Meidara,  the 
officer  in  command    of   the  Field  Telegraph,  were  the 


Nov.  8,  1870]  FEMININE  INFLUENCES  293 

Chiefs  guests  at  dinner.  Mention  was  made  of  the 
improper  use  of  the  telegraph  wire  by  distinguished 
personages  for  their  private  purposes. 

After  a  while  the  Chancellor  remarked  :  "  I  hear  that 
the  Augustenburger  also  telegraphs.  That  really  should 
not  be.  Nor  has  the  Coburger  any  right  to  do  so.  The 
telegraph  is  for  military  and  diplomatic  purposes,  and  not 
for  minor  potentates  to  use  for  incjuiries  respecting  their 
kitchens,  stables  and  theatres.  None  of  them  has  any 
rights  here.  Their  rights  ceased  on  passing  the  German 
frontier." 

On  some  one  referring  to  the  destruction  of  the 
telegraph  wires  and  other  similar  misconduct  on  the 
part  of  franctireurs  and  peasants  near  Epernay,  the 
Minister  said :  "They  should  have  immediately  sent  three 
or  four  battalions  there,  and  transported  six  thousand 
peasants  to  Germany  until  the  conclusion  of  the  war." 

Amongst  other  subjects  discussed  at  tea  was  the 
rumour  that  the  postponement  of  the  bombardment  was 
in  part  due  to  the  influence  of  ladies,  the  Queen  and  the 
Crown  Princess  being  mentioned  in  this  connection.  The 
Chief  was  in  the  drawing-room  engaged  in  conference 
with  the  Bavarian  General  von  Bothmer  on  the  military 
question  in  connection  wdth  the  closer  unification  of 
Germany  now  in  progress.  The  Minister  joined  us 
afterwards,  remaining  for  about  an  hour.  On  sitting 
down  he  breathed  a  deep  sigh  and  said:  "I  was  thinking 
just  now,  what  I  have  indeed  often  thought  before — ]f 
I  could  only  for  five  minutes  have  the  power  to  say : 
'  That  must  be  done  thus  and  in  no  other  way  1 ' — If  one 
were  only  not  compelled  to  pother  about  the  '  why ' 
and  the  '  wherefore,'  and  to  argue  and  plead  for  the 
simplest  things ! — Things  made  much  more  rapid  progress 
under  men  like  Frederick  the  Great,  who  were  generals 


294  ''EDUCATING  PRINCES''  [Nov.  8,  1870 

themselves  and  also  knew  something  about  administra- 
tion, acting  as  their  own  Ministers.  It  was  the  same 
with  Napoleon.  But  here,  this  eternal  talking  and 
begging  ! " 

After  a  while  the  Chief  said,  with  a  laugh:  "I  have 
been  busy  to-day  educating  princes." 

"  How  so,  Excellency  ? "  asked  Hatzfeldt. 

"  Well,  I  have  explained  to  various  gentlemen  at  the 
Hotel  des  Keservoirs  what  is  and  what  is  not  proper.  I 
have  given  the  Meininger  to  understand  through  Stein 
that  he  is  not  to  be  allowed  to  use  the  Field  Telegraph 
for  giving  instructions  about  his  kitchen  garden  and 
theatre.  And  the  Coburger  is  still  worse.  Never 
mind,  the  Eeichstag  will  set  that  right  and  put  a  stop 
to  all  that  kind  of  thing.  But  only  I  shall  not  be 
there." 

Hatzfeldt  asked  :  "  Has  your  Excellency  seen  that 
the  Italians  have  broken  into  the  Quirinal  ? " 

"  Yes,  and  I  am  curious  to  know  what  the  Pope  will 
now  do.  Leave  the  country  ?  But  where  can  he  go  ? 
He  has  already  requested  us  to  ask  the  Italians  whether 
he  would  be  allowed  to  leave  and  with  fitting  dignity. 
We  did  so,  and  they  replied  that  the  utmost  respect 
would  be  paid  to  his  position,  and  that  their  attitude 
would  be  governed  by  that  determination  in  case  he 
desired  to  depart." 

*'  They  would  not  like  to  see  him  go,"  added  Hatz- 
feldt ;  "  it  is  in  their  interests  that  he  should  remain  in 
Rome." 

The  Chief  :  "  Yes,  certainly.  But  perhaps  he  may 
be  obliged  to  leave.  But  where  could  he  go  ?  Not  to 
France,  because  Garibaldi  is  there.  He  would  not  like 
to  go  to  Austria.  To  Spain  ?  I  suggested  to  him 
Bavaria."     The  Minister  then  reflected  for  a  moment. 


Nov.  8,  1870]    IF  THE  POPE  CAME  TO  GERMANY  295 

after  which  he  continued  :  "  There  remains  nothing  for 
him  but  Belgium  or  North  Germany.     As  a  matter  of 
fact   he   has   already    asked    whether  we   could   grant 
him  asylum.       I  have  no  objection  to  it — Cologne  or 
Fulda.     It  would  be  passing  strange,  but  after  all  not 
so  very  inexplicable,  and  it  would  be  very  useful  to  us 
to  be  recognised  by   Catholics  as  what  we  really  are, 
that  is  to  say,  the  sole  power  now  existing  that  is  capable 
of  protecting  the  head  of  their  Church.     Stofflet  and 
Charette,  together  with   their  Zouaves,  could  then  go 
about  their  business.     We  should  have  the  Poles  on  our 
side.     The  opposition  of  the  Ultramontanes  would  cease 
in  Belgium  and  Bavaria.     Malinkrott  would  come  over 
to  the  Government  side.    But  the  King  will  not  consent. 
He  is  terribly  afraid.     He  thinks  all  Prussia  would  be 
perverted,  and  he  himself  would  be  obliged  to  become  a 
Catholic.     I  told  him,  however,  that  if  the  Pope  begged 
for  asylum  he  could  not  refuse  it.     He  would  have  to 
grant  it  as  ruler  over  ten  million  Catholic  subjects  who 
would  desire  to  see  the  head  of  their  Church  protected. 
Besides,   imaginative  people,  particularly  women,  may 
possibly  feel  drawn  towards  Catholicism  by  the  pomp 
and  ritual  of  St.  Peter's,  with  the  Pope  seated  upon  his 
throne    and   bestowing   his   benediction.      The    danger 
would  not  be  so  great,  however,  in  Germany,  where  the 
people  would  see  the  Pope  amongst  them  as  a  poor  old 
man  seeking  assistance — a  good  old  gentleman,  one  of 
the  Bishops,  who  ate  and  drank  like  the  rest,  took  his 
pinch  of  snuff,  and  even  perhaps  smoked  a  cigar.     And 
after  all   even   if  a   few   people   in    Germany  became 
Catholic  again  (I  should  certainly  not  do  so)  it  would 
not  matter  much  so  long  as  they  remained  believing 
Christians.     The  particular  sect  is  of  no  consequence, 
only  the  faith.     People  ought  to  be  more  tolerant  in 


296  BISMARCK  AS  A   HORSEMAN        [Nov.  8,  1870 

their  way  of  thinking."  The  Chief  then  dilated  on  the 
comic  aspect  of  this  migration  of  the  Pope  and  his 
Cardinals  to  Fulda,  and  concluded  :  "Of  course  the 
King  could  not  see  the  humorous  side  of  the  affair. 
But  (smiling)  if  only  the  Pope  remains  true  to  me  I 
shall  know  how  to  bring  his  Majesty  round." 

Some  other  subjects  then  came  up.  Hatzfeldt  men- 
tioned that  his  Highness  of  Coburg  had  fallen  from  his 
horse.  "  Happily,  however,  without  being  hurt," 
hastily  added  Abeken,  with  a  pleased  expression.  This 
led  the  Chief  to  speak  of  similar  accidents  that  had 
happened  to  himself. 

"  I  believe  I  shall  be  more  than  within  the  mark  in 
saying  that  I  must  have  fallen  from  horseback  fifty 
times.  It  is  nothing  to  be  thrown  from  your  horse, 
but  when  the  horse  lies  on  top  of  you,  then  it's  a  bad 
case.  The  last  time  was  at  Varzin,  when  I  broke  three 
ribs.  I  thought  it  was  all  up  with  me.  It  was  not, 
however,  so  dangerous  as  it  seemed,  but  it  was  terribly 

painful But  as  a  young  man  I  had  a  remarkable 

accident,  which  shows  how  our  thinking  powers  are 
dependent  upon  the  brain.  I  was  riding  home  one 
evening  with  my  brother,  and  we  were  both  galloping 
as  hard  as  our  horses  could  go.  Suddenly  my  brother, 
who  was  in  front,  heard  a  fearful  bang.  It  was  my 
head  that  had  struck  against  the  road.  My  horse  had 
shied  at  a  lantern  in  a  cart  coming  in  the  opposite 
direction,  and  reared  so  that  he  fell  backwards,  and  I 
tumbled  on  my  head.  At  first  I  lost  consciousness,  and 
on  returning  to  my  senses  my  power  of  thinking  re- 
mained on  some  points  quite  clear,  but  had  quite  de- 
serted me  on  others.  I  examined  my  horse  and  found 
that  the  saddle  was  broken,  so  I  called  the  groom  and 
rode  home  on  his  horse.     When  the  dogs  there  barked 


Nov.  8,  1870]  A   STRANGE  CASE  297 

at  me  by  way  of  greeting,  I  thought  they  did  not  belong 
to  us,  got  cross  with  them  and  drove  them  away.  Then 
I  said  the  groom  had  fallen  from  his  horse  and  they 
should  send  a  stretcher  to  bring  in  ;  and  I  got  very 
angry  when,  taking  their  cue  from  my  brother,  they 
showed  no  disposition  to  move.  Were  they  going  to 
leave  the  unfortunate  man  lying  in  the  road  ?  I  did 
not  know  that  I  was  myself  and  was  at  home,  or  rather 
I  was  both  myself  and  the  groom.  I  asked  for  some- 
thing to  eat  and  afterwards  went  to  bed.  After  having 
slept  through  the  night  I  woke  up  next  morning  all 
right  again.  It  was  a  strange  case.  I  had  examined 
the  saddle,  taken  another  horse,  and  so  forth.  I  had 
done  everything  that  was  practically  required.  In  that 
respect  the  fall  had  produced  no  confusion  in  my  ideas. 
A  singular  example  which  shows  that  the  brain  harbours 
various  intellectual  powers — only  one  of  these  had  re- 
mained stupified  by  my  fall  for  a  somewhat  longer 
time. 

"  I  well  remember  another  incident  of  the  kind.  I 
was  riding  rapidly  through  some  young  timber  in  a 
large  wood  a  considerable  distance  from  home.  As  I 
was  crossing  over  a  hollow  road  the  horse  stumbled  and 
fell,  and  I  lost  consciousness.  I  must  have  lain  there 
senseless  for  about  three  hours,  as  it  was  already  twi- 
light by  the  time  I  stirred.  The  horse  was  standing 
near  me.  As  I  said,  the  place  was  at  a  great  distance 
from  our  estate,  and  I  was  entirely  unacquainted  with 
the  district.  I  had  not  yet  quite  recovered  my  senses, 
but  on  this  occasion  also  I  did  what  was  necessary.  I 
took  off  the  martingale,  which  was  broken,  and  followed 
the  road  across  a  rather  long  bridge  which,  as  I  then 
ascertained,  was  the  nearest  way  to  a  farm  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood.    The  farmer's  wife  ran  away  on  seeing  a  big 


298  A   NARROW  ESCAPE  [Nov.  8,  1870 

man  standing  before  lier  with  his  face  all  covered  with 
blood.  Her  husband,  however,  came  to  me  and  wiped 
away  the  blood.  I  told  him  who  I  was,  and  as  I  was 
hardly  fit  for  such  a  long  ride  home  I  asked  him  to 
drive  me  there,  which  he  accordingly  did.  I  must 
have  been  shot  fifteen  feet  out  of  the  saddle  and 
fallen  against  the  root  of  a  tree.  On  the  doctor 
examining  my  injuries,  he  said  it  was  against  all  the 
rules  of  his  art  that  I  had  not  broken  my  neck. 

"  I  have  also  been  a  couple  of  other  times  in  danger 
of  my  life,"  continued  the  Chief.  "  For  instance,  before 
the  Semmering  railway  was  finished  (I  believe  it  was 
in  1852)  I  went  with  a  party  through  one  of  the 
tunnels.  It  was  quite  dark  inside.  I  went  ahead  with 
a  lantern.  Now  right  across  the  floor  of  the  tunnel 
was  a  rift  or  gully,  which  must  have  been  about  fifteen 
feet  deep  and  half  as  wide  again  as  this  table.  A  plank 
was  laid  across  it,  with  a  raised  skirting  board  on  both 
sides  to  prevent  the  wheelbarrows  from  slipping  off. 
This  plank  must  have  been  rotten,  as  when  I  reached 
the  middle  it  broke  in  two  and  I  fell  down ;  but  having 
probably  involuntarily  stretched  out  my  arms,  I 
remained  hanging  on  the  skirting.  The  lantern  having 
gone  out,  those  behind  thought  I  had  fallen  into  the 
gully,  and  were  not  a  little  surprised  when  the  reply 
to  their  question,  '  Are  you  still  alive  ? '  instead  of 
coming  from  the  depths  below  came  from  just  under 
their  feet.  I  answered,  '  Yes,  here  I  am.'  I  had  in  the 
meantime  recovered  hold  also  with  my  feet,  and  I  asked 
wdiether  I  should  go  on  or  come  back.  The  guide 
thought  I  had  better  go  on  to  the  other  side,  and  so  I 
worked  my  way  over.  The  workman  who  acted  as  our 
guide  then  struck  a  light,  got  another  plank,  and 
brought    the    party  across.       That  plank  was    a    good 


Nov.  lo,  1870]       THE  OBJECT  OF  AN  ARMISTICE  299 

example  of  the  slovenly  way  in  whicli  such  things  were 
managed  in  Austria  at  that  time  ;  because  I  cannot 
believe  that  it  was  intentional.  I  was  not  hated  in 
Vienna  then  as  I  am  now — on  the  contrary." 

Thursday^  November  10th. — In  the  morning  I  am 
instructed  by  the  Chief  to  telegraph  that  great  distress 
has  been  occasioned  in  France,  and  that  still  more  is  to 
be  anticipated,  in  consequence  of  the  application  by  the 
Provisional  Government  of  Savings  Bank  funds  for  the 
relief  of  the  poor,  and  of  the  property  of  corporations,  to 
military  purposes.  I  had  permission  to  study  the  docu- 
ments connected  with  the  abortive  negotiations  for  an 
armistice. 

Thiers  had  stated  in  a  memorandum  the  principles 
which  he,  and  the  French  Government  which  he  repre- 
sented, regarded  as  a  basis  for  the  proposed  armistice- 
It  was  to  the  following  effect :  The  object  of  the  under- 
standing was  to  put  an  end  as  soon  as  possible  to  the 
bloodshed,  and  to  permit  the  convocation  of  a  National 
Assembly  which  would  represent  the  will  of  France  in 
dealing  with  the  European  Powers,  and  be  in  a  position 
sooner  or  later  to  conclude  peace  with  Prussia  and  her 
allies.  The  armistice  must  last  for  twenty-eight  days,  of 
which  twelve  would  be  required  for  canvassing  the  con- 
stituencies, one  for  the  polling,  five  for  the  elected 
deputies  to  meet  in  some  given  place,  and  ten  for 
examining  the  returns  and  appointing  the  bureau  of  the 
Assembly.  Tours  might  for  the  present  remain  the  seat 
of  such  an  Assembly.  The  elections  must  be  allowed  to 
take  place  free  and  unhindered  in  all  parts  of  France, 
including  those  occupied  by  the  Prussians.  Military 
operations  on  both  sides  to  cease,  although  both  parties 
would  be  at  liberty  to  enlist  recruits  and  proceed  with 
works   of  defence.       The    armies  to  be    at    liberty  to 


300  THE  PROVISIONING   OF  PARIS    [Nov.  lo,  1870 

obtain  for  themselves  supplies  of  provisions,  but  requisi- 
tions on  the  other  hand  to  be  suspended  as  "constituting 
a  military  operation  which  should  cease  together  with 
other  hostilities."  Moreover  fortified  places  were  to  be 
provisioned  for  the  duration  of  the  truce  in  proportion 
to  the  strength  of  the  population  and  garrison.  For 
this  purpose  Paris  to  be  allowed  to  receive  the  following 
live  stock  and  other  provisions  over  four  railway  lines 
to  be  determined  :  34,000  bullocks,  80,000  sheep,  8,000 
pigs,  5,000  calves,  100,000  metric  centals  of  corned 
meat,  8,000,000  metric  centals  of  hay  or  straw  as  fodder 
for  the  cattle  in  question,  200,000  metric  centals  of 
flour,  30,000  metric  centals  of  dried  vegetables,  100,000 
tons  of  coal,  and  500,000  cubic  metres  of  fire-wood.  In 
these  calculations  the  population  of  Paris  and  its 
suburbs,  including  the  garrison  of  400,000  men,  was 
estimated  at  2,700,000  to  2,800,000  inhabitants. 

These  demands  on  the  part  of  the  French  could  not 
be  accepted.  Had  we  agreed  to  them  we  should  have 
surrendered  the  greater  and  more  important  portion  of 
the  advantages  w^e  had  gained  in  the  last  seven  weeks, 
at  the  cost  of  great  sacrifices  and  severe  exertions.  In 
other  words,  we  should  in  the  main  have  returned  to 
the  position  in  which  we  were  on  the  1 9th  of  September, 
the  day  on  which  our  troops  completed  the  investment 
of  Paris.  We  are  asked  to  allow  Paris  to  provision 
itself,  when  even  now  it  suffers  from  scarcity  and  will 
shortly  be  obliged  to  starve  or  surrender.  We  are  to 
suspend  our  military  operations  just  at  the  moment 
when  the  fall  of  Metz  and  the  release  of  the  army  of 
Prince  Frederick  Charles  enable  us  to  extend  and  render 
them  more  effective.  We  are  quietly  to  permit  recruit- 
ing and  organisation,  by  means  of  which  the  French 
Eepublic  is  to  create  a  new  field  force,  while  we  require 


Nov.  lo,  1870]      NO  MILITARY  EQUIVALENT  301 

no  recruits.  At  the  same  time  that  we  are  to  allow 
Paris  and  the  other  French  fortresses  to  supply  them- 
selves with  provisions,  we  are  to  provide  for  our  own 
troops  without  the  requisitions  which  are  necessary  in 
an  enemy's  country.  We  are  to  make  all  these  con- 
cessions without  any  military  equivalent — such,  foi 
instance,  as  the  evacuation  of  one  or  two  of  the  Paris 
forts  in  return  for  the  liberty  to  provision  the  city — 
and  without  being  offered  any  clear  prospect  of  peace. 
The  first  object  of  the  armistice  according  to  the  Thiers 
memorandum,  namely,  the  restoration  of  an  orderly 
state  of  affairs  by  the  lawful  election  of  a  Constituent 
Assembly,  is  unquestionably  more  in  the  interest  of  the 
French  themselves  than  in  ours ;  and,  considering  the 
constant  excitement  maintained  by  the  inflammatory 
proclamations  of  the  Provisional  Government,  it  may 
possibly  not  be  secured  even  under  a  new  administra- 
tion. More  orderly  conditions  could  be  brought  about 
even  now  without  a  truce  if  the  present  Government 
were  seriously  disposed  to  work  in  that  direction.  It 
was  absolutely  impossible  on  the  German  side  to  have 
anything  to  do  with  such  proposals.  A  different 
arrangement  altogether  was  needful,  and  therefore  the 
Chancellor  of  the  Confederation  offered  M.  Thiers  a 
truce  of  twenty -five  to  twenty-eight  days  on  the  basis 
of  the  maintenance  of  the  military  status  quo,  which 
would  enable  the  French  to  carry  on  the  elections  in 
peace,  and  to  convoke  the  Assembly  thus  constituted. 
This  also  was  a  concession  on  our  part  in  which  the 
advantages  were  all  on  the  French  side.  If,  as  Thiers 
asserted,  Paris  was  supplied  with  provisions  and  other 
necessaries  for  several  months,  it  is  not  easy  to  see 
why  the  Provisional  Government  broke  off  the  negotia- 
tions which,  at  the  outside,  would  have  prevented  the 


302  THE    WATER  SUPPLY  [Nov.  lo,  1870 

Parisians  from  making  useless  sorties.  France,  on  the 
other  hand,  would  have  had  the  great  advantage  of 
having  a  line  of  demarcation  drawn  which  would  have 
arrested  the  advance  of  the  German  forces,  restricting 
the  unopposed  occupation  of  further  districts  by  our 
army  that  had  been  set  free  by  the  fall  of  Metz.  In 
the  meantime  Thiers  refused  this  very  acceptable  offer, 
and  maintained  that  the  provisioning  of  Paris  was  an 
indispensable  condition  for  an  understanding,  while  he 
was  not  empowered  to  give  any  prospect  of  a  military 
equivalent  for  the  same,  such  as  the  evacuation  of  one 
of  the  Paris  forts. 

On  coming  in  to  dinner,  the  Chief  mentioned  that 
the  Minister  of  War  is  seriously  ill.  He  feels  very  weak, 
and  will  scarcely  be  able  to  rise  from  his  bed  for  a  fort- 
night. The  Count  afterwards  made  some  jokes  about 
the  water  supplied  to  us  for  washing.  "  The  inhabit- 
ants of  the  local  reservoir,"  he  said,  "  seem  to  have 
their  seasons.  First  came  the  scolopendria,  which  are 
particularly  distasteful  to  me,  '  moving  their  thousand 
limbs  together '  (Schiller's  Diver).  Then  followed  the 
wood  lice,  which  I  cannot  bear  to  touch,  although  they 
are  perfectly  harmless.  I'd  sooner  grasp  a  snake.  Now 
the  leeches  have  arrived.  I  found  quite  a  small  speci- 
men to-day,  doubled  up  into  a  button.  I  tried  to  induce 
him  to  deploy,  but  he  declined — remained  a  button.  I 
then  poured  some  well  water  over  him,  and  he  stretched 
out  straight,  long  and  thin  like  a  needle,  and  made  off 
with  himself."  The  conversation  then  turned  on  a 
variety  of  simple  but  nevertheless  estimable  delicacies, 
such  as  fresh  and  salt  herrings,  new  potatoes,  spring 
butter,  &c.  The  Minister  observed  to  Delbriick,  who 
also  approved  of  those  good  things  :  "  The  sturgeon  is  a 
fish  which  is  also  to  be  found  here,  but  it  is  not  appre- 


Nov.  lo,  1870]         A    TOPSY  TURVY   WORLD  303 

ciated  as  it  ought  to  be.  In  Russia  they  recognise  its 
good  qualities.  It  is  often  caught  in  the  Elbe  in  the 
Magdeburg  district,  but  is  only  eaten  by  fishermen  and 
poor  people."  He  then  explained  its  good  points,  and 
thus  came  to  speak  of  caviare,  and  treated  of  the  several 
varieties  with  the  knowledge  of  a  connoisseur. 

"  The  fresh  caviare  which  we  now  get  in  Berlin  is 
very  good,"  he  said,  "  since  it  can  be  brought  by  rail 
from  St.  Petersburg  in  forty  hours.  I  have  had  it 
several  times,  and  one  of  my  principal  complaints  against 
that  fat  Borck  is  that  he  intercepted  forty  pounds  of 
this  caviare  which  I  once  sent  to  the  King.  I  suspected 
something  of  the  kind,  as  the  King  made  no  mention  of 
it,  and  did  not  send  me  any  present  in  return.  Later 
on  Perponcher  or  some  one  told  me  that  on  dropping  in 
to  Borck's  room  he  saw  there  a  barrel  of  caviare  with  a 
spoon  standing  in  it.  That  made  me  wild  with  him 
[Das  hat  mir  sehr  verdrossen)." 

The  Chief  remarked  at  dinner :  "  To-day,  again,  I 
noticed  when  it  snowed  how  many  points  of  resemblance 
there  are  between  the  Gauls  and  the  Slavs.  The  same 
broad  streets,  with  the  houses  standing  close  together, 
the  same  low  roofs,  as  in  Russia.  The  only  thing  want- 
ing here  is  the  green  onion-shaped  steeple.  But,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  versts  and  kilometres,  the  arsheens 
and  metres  are  the  same.  And  then  the  tendency  to 
centralisation,  the  uniformity  of  views  of  the  whole  popu- 
lation and  the  communistic  trait  in  the  popular 
character," 

He  then  spoke  of  the  wonderful  "  topsy  turvy " 
world  we  live  in  nowadays.  "  When  one  thinks  that 
perhaps  the  Pope  will  shortly  be  residing  in  a  small  town 
of  Protestant  Germany,  that  the  Reichstag  may  meet  in 
Versailles,    and    the   Corps   Legislatif   in    Cassel,    that 


304  DRINKING  FEATS  [Nov.  lo,  1870 


Garibaldi  has  become  a  French  general  in  spite  of 
Mentana,  and  that  Papal  Zouaves  are  fighting  side  by 
side  with  him  !  "  He  followed  up  this  train  of  ideas 
for  some  little  time. 

The  Minister  then  remarked  suddenly  :  "  Metternich 
has  also  written  to  me  to-day.  He  wants  me  to  allow 
Hoyos  to  enter  Paris,  in  order  that  he  may  bring  away 
the  Austrians.  I  replied  that  since  the  25th  of  October 
they  have  had  permission  to  come  out,  but  that  we 
could  allow  no  more  people  to  enter,  not  even  diplomats. 
We  also  receive  none  in  Versailles,  but  I  would  make  an 
exception  in  his  favour.  He  will  then  perhaps  again 
raise  the  Austrians'  claims  respecting  the  property  of 
the  old  Bund  in  the  German  fortresses." 

On  the  subject  of  doctors,  and  the  way  in  which 
nature  sometimes  comes  to  its  own  assistance,  the  Chief 
related  that  he  was  once  with  a  shooting  party  for  two 

days  at  the  Duke  of .      "  I  was  thoroughly  out   of 

sorts.  Even  the  two  days'  shooting  and  fresh  air  did 
me  no  good.  On  the  third  day  I  visited  the  Cuirassiers 
at  Brandenburg,  who  had  received  a  new  cup.  I  was  to 
be  the  first  one  to  drink  out  of  it,  thus  dedicating  it, 
and  then  it  was  to  go  the  round  of  the  table.  It  held 
nearly  a  bottle.  I  made  my  speech,  however,  drank  and 
set  it  down  empty,  to  the  great  surprise  of  the  officers, 
who  had  but  a  poor  opinion  of  mere  quill-drivers.  That 
was  the  result  of  my  Gottingen  training.  And  strangely, 
or  perhaps  naturally  enough,  it  set  me  all  right  again. 
On  another  occasion,  when  I  was  shooting  at  Letzlingen 
in  the  time  of  Frederick  William  IV.  the  guests  were 
asked  to  drink  from  an  old  puzzle  goblet.  It  was  a 
stag's  horn,  which  contained  about  three-quarters  of  a 
bottle  of  wine,  and  was  so  made  that  one  could  not 
bring  it  close  to  the  lips,  yet  one  was  not  allo\/ed   to 


Nov.  12,  i87oJ  A  'KINDLY'  REPLY!  305 

spill  a  drop.  I  took  it  and  drank  it  off  at  a  draught, 
although  it  was  very  cold  champagne,  and  not  a  single 
drop  fell  on  my  white  waistcoat.  Everybody  was 
immensely  surprised  ;  but  I  said,  '  Give  me  another.' 
The  King,  however,  who  evidently  did  not  appreciate 
my  success,  called  out  '  No,  no  more.'  Such  tricks 
were  formerly  an  indispensable  part  of  the  diplomat's 
trade.  They  drank  the  weaker  vessels  under  the  table, 
wormed  all  they  wanted  to  know  out  of  them,  made 
them  agree  to  things  which  were  contrary  to  their 
instructions,  or  for  which,  at  least,  they  had  no  authority. 
Then  they  were  compelled  to  put  their  signatures  at 
once,  and  afterwards  when  they  got  sober  they  could  not 
imagine  how  they  had  done  it." 

Bismarck-Bohlen,  who  seemed  to  be  particularly 
communicative  to-day,  told  the  following  anecdote 
about  the  Chief  At  Commercy  a  woman  came  to  him 
to  complain  that  her  husband,  who  had  tried  to  strike  a 
hussar  with  a  spade,  had  been  arrested.  "  The  Minister 
listened  to  her  very  amiably,  and  when  she  had  done  he 
replied  in  the  kindliest  manner  possible,  '  Well,  my  good 
woman,  you  can  be  quite  sure  that  your  husband ' 
(drawing  a  line  round  his  neck  with  his  finger)  '  will  be 
presently  hanged.' " 

Saturday,  November  12th. — While  we  were  at  lunch 
the  Chief  was  out.  He  shortly  afterwards  passed 
through  the  dining-room  into  the  saloon,  accompanied  by 
a  bearded  officer  in  a  Prussian  uniform,  the  Grand  Duke 
of  Baden. 

In  about  ten  minutes  the  Chief  returned  to  table. 
He  was  very  angry  and  indignant,  and  said  :  "  This  is 
really  too  bad  !  No  peace  from  these  Grand  Dukes  even 
at  one's  meals.  They  will  eventually  force  their  way 
into  one's  bedroom.     That  must  be  put  a  stop  to.     It  is 

VOL.   I  X 


3o6  UNWELCOME  VISITORS  [Nov.  12,  1870 

not  so  in  Berlin.  There  the  people  who  want  something 
from  me  announce  their  visits  in  writing,  and  I  fix  a 
suitable  time  for  them  to  call.  Why  should  it  not  be 
the  same  here  ?  " 

After  a  while  the  Chief  said  to  one  of  the  attendants 
who  was  waiting  upon  us,  "Remember  in  future  in  such 
cases  to  say  that  I  am  not  at  home.  Whoever  brings 
any  visitor  to  me  unannounced  will  be  put  under  arrest 
and  sent  off  to  Berlin  ; "  and  after  eating  a  few  mouthfuls 
more,  he  went  on  :  "  As  if  it  were  anything  of  import- 
ance !  But  merely  curiosity  and  a  desire  to  kill  time. 
He  shall  see,  however,  I  will  shortly  pay  him  a  surprise 
visit  on  some  official  matter,  so  that  he  cannot  send  me 
away " 

The  conversation  then  turned  on  Roon's  asthma, 
which  according  to  Lauer  is  now  improving.  His  rage 
at  the  appearance  of  the  Grand  Duke  during  the  dinner 
hour  still  visibly  affected  the  Chief,  who  asked  Lauer, 
"  What  should  one  drink  with  marena  when  in  a  bad 
temper  ? "  and  on  Lauer  recommending  something  the 
name  of  which  I  could  not  catch,  the  Minister  continued  : 
"  It  upsets  my  digestion  when  anything  exasperates  me 
at  meals  ;  and  here  I  have  had  good  reason  to  be  angry. 
They  think  that  one  is  only  made  for  their  use."  Then 
addressing  the  servant  again  the  Chief  said  :  "  Mind  you 
send  away  the  red  lackeys,  and  say  that  I  am  not  at 
home.  Remember  that !  And  you,  Karl  (to  Bohlen), 
must  take  care  that  this  is  done." 

The  name  of  Arnim  Boitzenburg,  the  former  Minister, 
then  came  up.  The  Chancellor  said  he  had  been  his  chief 
at  Aix-la-Chapelle,  and  he  went  on  to  describe  him  as 
"  amiable,  clever,  but  unstable  and  incapable  of  persistent 
or  energetic  action.  He  was  like  an  india-rubber  ball  that 
bounces  again  and  again,  but  each  time  with  diminishing 


Nov.  13,  1870]  COUNT  HARRY  ARNIM  307 

force  until  at  length  it  ceases  to  move.  He  first  had  an 
opinion,  then  weakened  it  by  arguing  against  it  himself, 
and  went  on  criticising  his  own  criticism,  until  at  last 
there  was  nothing  left  and  nothing  done." 

Delbriick  praised  the  son-in-law  (Harry  Arnim)  as 
being  well-informed  and  intelligent,  though  unsym- 
pathetic and  unambitious.  This  was  confirmed  by  the 
Chief,  who  said  :  "  Yes,  he  is  a  rocket  in  which  they 
forgot  to  put  in  the  powder.  He  has,  however,  a  good 
head,  but  his  reports  are  not  the  same  on  any  two 
successive  days — often  on  the  same  day  two  thoroughly 
contradictory  views.  No  reliance  can  be  placed  upon 
him." 

Arnim's  lack  of  ambition  led  some  one  to  speak  of 
orders  and  titles,  and  the  Chief  said  his  first  decoration 
was  a  medal  for  saving  life,  which  he  received  for  having 
rescued  a  servant  from  drowning.  "  I  was  made  an 
'Excellency'  at  the  palace  in  Konigsberg  in  1861.  I 
however,  already  had  the  title  in  Frankfort,  only 
there  I  was  not  a  Prussian  but  a  Federal  Excellency. 
The  German  Princes  had  decided  that  each  Minister  to 
the  Diet  should  have  that  title.  For  the  matter  of  that 
I  did  not  trouble  myself  much  about  it — nor  afterwards 
either — I  was  a  distinguished  man  without  it." 

Sunday,  November  13th. — The  Chancellor,  in  a 
general's  uniform  and  helmet,  and  wearing  several 
orders,  went  to-day  to  dine  with  the  King.  As  he  was 
leaving,  Bohlen  said  to  him  :  "  But  you  ought  to  have 
the  ribbon  of  the  Iron  Cross  in  your  button -hole." 

"  It  is  there  already,"  replied  the  Minister.  "  In 
other  circumstances  I  should  not  wear  it.  I  am  ashamed 
before  my  own  sons  and  many  others  who  have  earned 
it  but  not  got  it,  while  all  the  loafers  at  headquarters 
swagger  about  with  it." 

X  2 


3o8  "  W//y  NOT  BE  CIVIL?"  [Nov.  15,  1870 

In  the  evening  the  Chancellor  desired  me  to  send  a 
dementi  of  a  false  report  published  by  the  Augsburg 
Allgemeine  Zeitung,  to  the  effect  that  Count  Arnim 
paid  a  visit  to  head-quarters  before  his  departure  for 
Eome.  The  Chief  at  the  same  time  remarked:  "  I  have 
told  you  more  than  once  that  you  must  not  write  so 
violently.  Here  you  are  again,  speaking  of  '  hallucina- 
tion '  (in  correction  of  an  article  by  Archibald  Forbes  in 
the  Daily  Neivs).  Why  not  be  civil  ?  I,  too,  have  to 
be  civil.  Always  this  carping,  malignant  style  !  You 
must  learn  to  write  differently  if  you  want  to  work  in 
such  a  distinguished  Foreign  Office,  or  we  must  make 
other  arrangements.  And  such  a  bullying  style  !  Just 
like  Brass,  who  might  have  had  a  brilliant  position  if  he 
were  not  so  brutal."  "Hallucination"  was  the  word 
used  by  the  Minister  himself ;  but  in  future  I  shall  be 
careful  to  sift  my  phrases  so  as  to  eliminate  all  rough 
words  and  only  let  soft  ones  find  their  way  into  the 
press. 

Hatzfeldt  told  me  at  tea  that  the  Chief  had  also 
"  carried  on  awfully "  with  him,  adding  that  if  he 
remained  in  such  a  temper  for  long  he  (Hatzfeldt)  would 
think  of  leaving.  The  Count  will,  however,  in  all 
probability,  take  plenty  of  time  to  reconsider  this 
matter. 

Tuesday,  November  15th. — The  Chief  is  still  unwell. 
Theiss  reports  that  the  Court  have  their  things  ready 
packed  to-day,  and  this  is  confirmed  at  lunch.  The 
position  of  affairs  between  here  and  Orleans  is  not  as 
good  as  it  might  be.  The  Minister  also  on  sitting  down 
to  table  mentions  the  possibility  of  our  having  to  retire, 
and  evacuate  Versailles  for  a  time.  There  might  be 
an  attack  from  Dreux  combined  with  a  sortie  on  a  large 
scale  from  Paris.     He  had  repeatedly  spoken  of  that 


POSSIBILITY  OF  EVACUATING  VERSAILLES        309 

possibility  to  members  of  tbe  general  staff.  Even  a 
layman  could  see  that  a  successful  attempt  of  that  kind 
in  which  not  only  the  Court  and  general  staff  but  also 
the  heavy  siege  guns  would  be  in  danger  of  falling  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy,  must  be  the  sole  chance  of 
relieving  Paris,  and  that  the  French,  therefore,  may  well 
hazard  the  attempt. 


CHAPTER   XII 

GROWING    DESIRE    FOR    A    DECISION    IN    VARIOUS 
DIRECTIONS 

Wednesday,  November  16th. — The  Chief  is  still  un- 
well. One  of  the  causes  is  supposed  to  be  his  morti- 
fication at  the  course  of  the  negotiations  with  the 
South  German  States  (which  once  more  seem  as  if  they 
would  come  to  a  standstill)  and  at  the  conduct  of  the 
military  authorities,  who  have  on  various  occasions 
neglected  to  consult  him,  although  the  matters  dealt 
with  were  not  merely  military  questions. 

Count  Waldersee  dines  with  us.  The  Chief  com- 
plains once  more  that  the  military  authorities  are  pro- 
ceeding too  slowly  for  him,  and  do  not  inform  him  of 
all  matters  of  importance.  He  had  only  succeeded, 
"  after  repeated  requests,"  in  getting  them  to  send  him 
at  least  those  particulars  which  they  telegraph  to  the 
German  newspapers.  It  was  different  in  1866.  He  was 
then  present  at  all  councils,  and  his  view  was  frequently 
accepted.  For  instance,  it  was  due  to  him  that  a  direct 
attack  upon  Vienna  was  given  up,  and  that  the  army 
marched  on  to  the  Hungarian  frontier.  "And  that  is 
only  as  it  should  be.  It  is  necessary  for  my  business. 
I  must  be  informed  of  the  course  of  military  operations, 
in  order  that  I  may  know  the  proper  time  at  which  to 
conclude  peace." 


Nov.  17,  1870]     WHY  NOT  SHOOT  THE  GARIBALDIANS?    311 

Thursday^  November  Ylth. — Altcn  and  Prince  Rad- 
ziwill  are  the  Chiefs  guests  at  dinner.  A  rumour  is 
mentioned  to  the  effect  that  Garibaldi  and  13,000 
of  his  volunteers  have  been  made  prisoners.  The 
Minister  observed  :  "  That  is  really  disheartening — to 
make  prisoners  of  13,000  franctireurs  who  are  not 
even  Frenchmen  I     Why  have  they  not  been  shot  ?  " 

He  then  complained  that  the  military  authorities  so 
seldom  consulted  him.  "  This  capitulation  of  Verdun, 
for  instance — I  should  certainly  not  have  advised  that. 
To  undertake  to  return  their  arms  after  peace  had  been 
concluded,  and  still  more  to  let  French  officials  continue 
the  administration  as  they  please.  The  first  condition 
might  pass,  as  the  conditions  of  peace  might  provide 
that  the  weapons  should  not  be  returned.  But  that 
lihrement !  It  ties  our  hands  in  the  interval,  even 
should  they  place  all  kinds  of  obstacles  in  our  way  and 
act  as  if  there  were  absolutely  no  war.  They  can 
openly  stir  up  a  rising  in  favour  of  the  Republic,  and 
under  this  agreement  we  can  do  nothing  to  prevent 
them."  After  dwelling  upon  this  topic  for  some  time, 
the  Minister  concluded  by  saying :  "At  all  events,  such 
a  capitulation  is  unprecedented  in  history." 

Some  one  referred  to  the  article  written  by  a  diplomat 
in  the  Independance  Beige  prophesying  the  restoration 
of  Napoleon.  "No  doubt,"  observed  the  Chancellor, 
"  Napoleon  fancies  something  of  the  kind  will  happen. 
Moreover,  it  is  not  entirely  impossible.  If  he  made 
peace  with  us  he  might  return  with  the  troops  he  has 
now  in  Germany.  Something  in  the  style  of  Klapka's 
Hungarian  Legion  on  a  grand  scale,  to  work  in  co- 
oj)eration  with  us.  And  then  his  Government  is  still 
the  legal  one.  Order  being  once  restored,  he  would  at 
the  outside  require  an   army  of   200,000  men  for  its 


312  ENGLAND  AND  THE  BLACK  SEA     [Nov.  17, 1870 

maintenance.  With  the  exception  of  Paris,  it  would 
not  be  necessary  to  garrison  the  large  towns  with  troops. 
Perhaps  Lyons  and  Marseilles.  The  National  Guards 
would  be  sufficient  for  the  protection  of  the  others.  If 
the  republicans  were  to  rise  in  rebellion  they  could  be 
bombarded  and  shelled  out. 

A  telegram  reporting  Granville's  statement  with 
regard  to  the  Eussian  declaration  concerning  the  Peace 
of  Paris  was  sent  by  the  King  to  the  Chief,  who  read 
it  over  to  us.  It  was  to  the  effect  that  Russia,  in  taking 
upon  herself  to  denounce  a  portion  of  the  Treaty  of 
1856,  assumed  the  right  to  set  aside  the  whole  on  her 
own  initiative,  a  right  which  was  only  possessed  by 
the  signatory  Powers  collectively.  England  could  not 
tolerate  such  an  arbitrary  course,  which  threatened  the 
validity  of  all  treaties.  Future  complications  were  to 
be  apprehended.  The  Minister  smiled,  and  said : 
"  Future  complications  !  Parliamentary  speech-makers  ! 
They  are  not  going  to  venture.  The  whole  tone  is  also 
in  the  future.  That  is  the  way  in  which  one  speaks 
when  he  does  not  mean  to  do  anything.  No,  there  is 
nothing  to  be  feared  from  them  now,  as  there  was 
nothing  to  be  hoped  from  them  four  months  ago.  If 
at  the  beginning  of  the  war  the  English  had  said  to 
Napoleon,  '  There  must  be  no  war,'  there  would  have 
been  none." 

After  a  while  the  Minister  continued  :  "  Gorschakoff 
is  not  carrying  on  in  this  matter  a  real  Eussian  policy 
(that  is,  one  in  the  true  interests  of  Eussia),  but  rather 
a  policy  of  violent  aggression.  People  still  believe  that 
Eussian  diplomats  are  particularly  crafty  and  clever, 
full  of  artifices  and  stratagems,  but  that  is  not  the  case. 
If  the  people  at  St.  Petersburg  were  clever  they  would 
not  make  any  declaration  of  the  kind,  but  would  quietly 


Nov.  19,  1870]     THE  CASTILIAN  SENSE  OF  HONOUR  313 

build  men-of-war  in  the  Black  Sea  and  wait  until  they 
were  questioned  on  the  subject.  Then  they  might 
reply  that  they  knew  nothing  about  it,  but  would 
make  inquiries,  and  so  let  the  matter  drag  on.  That 
might  continue  for  a  long  time,  and  finally  people 
would  get  accustomed  to  it." 

Another  telegram  announced  the  election  of  the 
Duke  of  Aosta  as  King  of  Spain.  The  Chief  said  :  "  I 
pity  him — and  them.  He  is,  moreover,  elected  by  a 
small  majority — not  by  the  two- thirds  originally  in- 
tended. There  were  190  votes  for  him  and  115 
against."  Alten  was  pleased  that  the  monarchical 
sentiments  of  the  Spaniards  had  ultimately  prevailed. 
"  Ah,  those  Spaniards  1 "  exclaimed  the  Chief.  "  They 
have  no  sense  of  what  is  honourable  or  becoming ! 
They  showed  that  on  the  outbreak  of  this  war.  If 
only  one  of  those  Castilians  who  pretend  to  have  a 
monopoly  of  the  sense  of  honour  had  but  expressed  his 
indignation  at  the  cause  of  the  present  war,  which  was 
after  all  Napoleon's  intervention  in  their  previous  elec- 
tion of  a  king,  interfering  with  their  free  choice  and 
treating  them  as  vassals  !  ....  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
these  Spaniards  are  all  mere  Angelo  de  Mirandas, — he 
was  formerly  a  card  sharper,  and  then  confidant  of 
Prim's  and  probably  also  of  the  King's."  After  the 
Chief  had  made  some  further  remarks,  some  one  said 
that  it  was  now  all  over  with  the  candidature  of  the 
Prince  of  Hohenzollern.  "  Yes,"  replied  the  Chief, 
"  but  only  because  he  wishes  it  to  be  so.  A  couple  of 
weeks  ago  I  told  him  that  it  was  still  time.  But  he  no 
longer  wanted  to  go  on." 

Saturday,  November  19th. — We  were  joined  at 
dinner  by  General  von  Werder,  the  Prussian  Military 
Plenipotentiary   at  St.   Petersburg.      The    Chief,    who 


314  HEINRICH  VON  GAGERN  [Nov.  19,  1870 

looked  very  pleased,  said,  shortly  after  entering  the 
dining-room  :  "  Well,  we  shall  probably  be  able  to  come 
to  an  understanding  with  Bavaria."  "  Yes,"  exclaimed 
Bohlen,  "  something  of  that  kind  has  already  been  tele- 
graphed to  one  of  the  Berlin  papers."  "  I  am  sorry  for 
that,"  replied  the  Minister ;  ''  it  is  premature.  But  of 
course,  wherever  there  is  a  mob  of  princes  who  have 
nothing  to  do  and  who  feel  bored,  nothing  can  be  kept 
secret ! " 

The  conversation  then  turned  on  Vienna  and  Count 
Beust.     The  Chief  said  Beust  had  apologised  for  the 
recent  discourteous  note.     It  was  written  by  Biegeleben, 
and  not  by  himself.     The  reference  to  Biegeleben  led  to 
the  discussion  of  the  Gagern  family  and  to  the  once 
celebrated    Heinrich  von    Gagern    (President    of    the 
Reichstag  in  the  Paulskirche  at  Frankfurt).     "  I  remem- 
ber," the  Chief  said,  "  in  1850  or  1851,  Manteuffel  was 
instructed   to  bring    about  an  understanding   between 
the  Gagern  and  the  Conservative  sections  of  the  Prus- 
sian party — at  least,  as  far  as  the  KiDg  was  disposed 
to   go    in   the    cause    of    German    unity.     Manteuffel 
selected  Gagern  and  myself  for  this  purpose,  and  so 
we  were  both  invited  one  day  to  a  souper  d  trois  at 
his  place.     At  first  there  was  little   or  no  mention  of 
politics,  but  Manteuffel  afterwards  made  some  excuse 
for  leaving  us  alone.     When    he   left  I    immediately 
began  to  talk    politics,  explaining   my  standpoint   to 
Gagern  in  a  plain,  business-like  way.     You  should  have 
heard  Gagern  !     He  assumed  his  Jove-like  aspect,  lifted 
his  eyebrows,  ran  his  fingers  through  his  hair,  rolled  his 
eyes  and  cast  them  up  to  heaven  so  perpendicularly  that 
you  could  hear  the  joints  in  his  neck  crack,  and  poured 
out  his  grand  phrases  to  me  as  if  I  were  a  public  meet- 
ing.    Of  course,  that  did  not  help  him  much  with  me. 


Nov.19,1870]  QUEEN  VICTORIA  AND  THE  BOMBARDMENT  ^i^ 

I  replied  coolly,  and  we  remained  divided  as  before. 
When  Jupiter  had  retired,  Manteufifel  asked,  *  Well, 
what  arrangement  have  you  come  to  together  ? '  '  Oh,' 
I  replied,  '  no  arrangement  at  all.  The  man  is  a  fool. 
He  takes  me  for  a  public  meeting  !  A  mere  watering- 
can  of  fine  phrases  !  Nothing  can  be  done  with  him.'  " 

The  subject  of  the  bombardment  having  been  intro- 
duced, the  Chief  said  :  "I  told  the  King  again  yester- 
day that  it  was  time  to  begin,  and  he  had  no  objection 
to  make.  He  replied  that  he  had  given  orders  to  begin, 
but  that  the  generals  said  they  could  not.  I  know 
exactly  how  it  is.  It  is  Stosch,  Treskow,  and  Pod- 
bielski." 

Some  one  asked  :  "  And  Hindersin  ?  " 

"  He  is  also  against  it,"  said  the  Chief.  "  Podbielski  " 
(so  I  understood  him  to  say)  "  could  be  brought  round. 
But  the  other  two  are  influenced  by  considerations 
affecting  their  own  future." 

It  appeared  from  some  further  remarks  of  the 
Minister  that,  in  his  opinion,  first  Queen  Victoria,  and 
then,  at  her  instance  the  Crown  Princess,  and,  finally, 
the  Crown  Prince,  persuaded  by  his  consort,  will  not 
have  Paris  bombarded  ;  while  the  generals  "  cannot " 
bombard  the  city  out  of  consideration  for  the  views  of 
the  Crown  Prince,  who  will,  of  course,  be  the  future 
King,  and  will  have  the  appointment  of  Ministers  of 
War,  commandants  of  army  corps,  and  field  marshals. 

The  late  General  von  Mollendorff  having  been  men- 
tioned, the  Minister  related  the  following  anecdote  :  "  I 
remember  after  the  March  rising,  when  the  King  and 
the  troops  were  at  Potsdam,  I  went  there  too.  A  council 
was  being  held  as  to  what  was  to  be  done.  Mollendorff 
was  present,  and  sat  not  far  from  me.  He  seemed  to  be 
in  pain,  and  could  scarcely  sit  down  for  the  beating  he 


3i6  LIFE  AT  ST.  PETERSBURG  [Nov.  19, 1870 

had  received.  All  kinds  of  suggestions  were  made,  but 
no  one  knew  exactly  what  was  to  be  done.  I  sat  near 
the  piano  and  said  nothing,  but  played  a  few  bars  "  (he 
hummed  the  opening  of  the  infantry  march  for  the 
charge).  "  Old  Mollendorff  suddenly  stood  up,  his  face 
beaming  with  pleasure,  and,  hobbling  over,  threw  his 
arms  round  my  neck,  and  said  :  '  That's  right.  I  know 
what  you  mean.  March  on  Berlin  ! '  There  was  nothing 
to  be  done  with  the  King,  however,  and  the  others  had 
not  the  pluck." 

After  a  while  the  Chancellor  asked  Werder :  "  How 
much  does  each  visit  to  the  Tsar  cost  you  ?  "  I  do  not 
know  what  Werder's  answer  was,  but  the  Chief  went  on  : 
"  It  was  always  a  rather  costly  business  for  me — par- 
ticularly in  Zarskoje.  There  I  had  always  to  pay  from 
15  to  20  and  sometimes  25  roubles,  according  as  I  drove 
out  to  see  the  Emperor  with  or  without  an  invitation.  It 
was  always  more  expensive  in  the  former  case.  I  had  to 
fee  the  coachman  and  footman  who  brought  me,  the 
majordomo  who  received  me — he  wore  a  sword  when  I 
came  on  invitation,  and  then  the  running  footman  who 
conducted  me  through  the  whole  length  of  the  castle — it 
must  be  about  a  thousand  yards — to  the  Emperor's 
apartments.  Well,  he  really  earned  his  five  roubles. 
And  one  never  got  the  same  coachman  twice.  I  could 
never  recover  these  expenses.  We  Prussians  were  alto- 
gether badly  paid.  Twenty-five  thousand  thalers  salary 
and  8,000  thalers  for  rent.  For  that  sum  I  cer- 
tainly had  a  house  as  large  and  fine  as  any  palace  in 
Berlin.  But  all  the  furniture  was  old,  shabby,  and  faded, 
and  when  I  had  paid  for  repairs  and  other  odds  and  ends 
it  cost  me  9,000  a  year.  I  found,  however,  that  I 
was  not  obliged  to  spend  more  than  my  salary,  ard  so 
I  helped  myself  out  of  the  difliculty  by  not  entertaining. 


Nov.  19,  iSyo]      BUYING  FIREWOOD  IN  RUSSIA  317 

The  French  Minister  had  300,000  francs,  and  was  in 
addition  allowed  to  charge  his  Government  with  the  ex- 
pense of  any  receptions  which  he  chose  to  look  upon  as 
official." 

"  But  you  had  at  least  free  firing,"  said  Werder, 
"and  at  St.  Petersburg  that  amounts  to  something  con- 
siderable in  the  course  of  the  year." 

"  Excuse  me,  but  I  had  not,"  replied  the  Chief,  "  I  was 
obliged  to  pay  for  that  too.  Wood  would  not  have  been 
so  dear  if  the  officials  had  not  made  it  so.  I  remember 
once  seeing  some  very  good  timber  in  a  Finnish  boat.  I 
asked  the  peasants  what  the  price  was  and  they  men- 
tioned a  very  moderate  figure.  But  when  I  wanted  to 
buy  it  they  asked  if  it  was  for  the  Treasury  (he  used  the 
Kussian  term).  I  was  imprudent  enough  to  reply  that 
it  was  not  for  the  Imperial  Treasury  (he  again  used  the 
Russian  words)  but  for  the  Royal  Prussian  Legation. 
When  I  came  back  to  have  the  wood  removed  they  had 
disappeared.  Had  I  given  them  the  address  of  a  trades- 
man, with  whom  I  could  afterwards  have  made  an 
arrangement,  I  might  have  got  the  wood  at  a  third  of 
the  price  I  usually  paid.  They  evidently  regarded  the 
Prussian  Minister  as  one  of  the  Tsar's  officials  and 
thought  to  themselves  :  '  No,  when  it  comes  to  payment 
he  will  say  that  we  have  stolen  the  wood,  and  have  us 
locked  up  until  we  give  it  to  him  for  nothing.'  "  The 
Chief  then  gave  some  instances  of  the  way  in  w^hich  the 
Tschinowniks  harassed  and  exploited  the  peasantry,  and 
afterwards  returned  to  the  subject  of  the  poor  pay 
of  Prussian  Ministers  as  compared  with  those  of  other 
countries.  "  It  is  just  the  same  in  Berlin,"  he  said. 
"  The  Prussian  Minister  has  10,000  thalers,  but  the 
English  Ambassador  has  63,000,  and  the  Russian 
44,000,  while  the  latter's  Government  bears  the  cost  of 


''WAR  IS   WAR"  [Nov.  22, 1870 


all  entertainments,  and  if  the  Tsar  stays  with  him  he 
usually  receives  a  full  year's  salary  as  compensation. 
Of  course,  in  such  circumstances,  we  cannot  keep  pace 
with  them." 

Tuesday,  November  22nd. — Prince  Pless,  Major  von 
Alten,  and  a  Count  Stolberg  dine  with  us.  Mention  is 
made  of  a  great  discovery  of  first-rate  wine  in  a  cellar 
near  Bougival,  which  has  been  confiscated  in  accordance 
with  the  laws  of  war.  Bohlen  complains  that  none  of  it 
has  reached  us.  Altogether  the  Foreign  Office  is  as 
badly  provided  as  possible.  Care  is  always  taken  to  set 
apart  the  most  uncomfortable  lodgings  for  the  Chief,  and 
they  have  been  invariably  lucky  in  finding  such.  "Yes," 
said  the  Chancellor,  laughing,  "  it  is  pure  churlishness  on 
their  part  to  treat  me  like  that.  And  so  ungrateful,  as 
I  have  always  looked  after  their  interests  in  the  Diet. 
But  they  shall  see  me  thoroughly  transformed.  I 
started  for  the  war  devoted  to  the  military,  but  I  shall 
go  home  a  convinced  Parliamentarian.  No  more 
military  budgets." 

Prince  Pless  praises  the  Wurtemberg  troops.  They 
make  an  excellent  impression  and  come  next  to  our  own 
in  the  matter  of  military  bearing.  The  Chancellor 
agrees  but  thinks  the  Bavarians  also  deserve  commenda- 
tion. He  appears  to  be  particularly  pleased  at  the 
summary  way  in  which  they  shoot  down  the  "  franc- 
voleurs."  "  Our  North  German  soldiers  follow  orders 
too  literally.  When  one  of  those  footpads  fires  at  a 
Holstein  dragoon  he  gets  off"  his  horse,  runs  after  the 
fellow  with  his  heavy  sword  and  catches  him.  He  then 
brings  him  to  his  lieutenant,  who  either  lets  him  go  or 
hands  him  over  to  his  superior  officer — which  comes  to 
the  same  thing,  as  he  is  then  set  free.  The  Bavarian  acts 
diff"erently.     He  knows  that   war  is  war,  and  keeps  up 


Nov.  23,  1870]  THE  BAVARIAN  TREATIES  319 

the  good  old  customs.  He  does  uot  wait  until  he  is 
shot  at  from  behind,  but  shoots  first  himself." 

In  the  evening  I  prepared  BernstorfTs  despatch 
respecting  the  capture  of  a  German  ship  in  English 
waters  by  the  French  frigate  Desaix  for  our  press  ; 
also  the  letter  to  Lundy  on  the  export  of  arms  from 
England  to  France ;  and  finally  arranged  that  our  papers 
should  no  longer  defend  Bazaine  against  the  charge  of 
treason,  "  as  it  does  him  harm." 

Wednesday,  November  23rd. — This  morning  I  asked 
Bucher  how  the  Bavarian  Treaties  were  getting  on  and 
whether  they  would  not  be  finally  settled  this  evening. 
"  Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "  if  nothing  happens  in  the  mean- 
time— and  it  need  not  be  anything  very  important. 
Could  you  imagine  what  it  was  that  recently  nearly 
wrecked  the  negotiations  ?  The  question  of  collars  or 
epaulettes  !  The  King  of  Bavaria  wanted  to  retain  the 
Bavarian  collar,  wdiile  his  Majesty  wished  to  have  it 
replaced  by  ours.  The  Chief,  however,  finally  brought 
him  round  by  saying :  '  But,  your  Majesty,  if  the 
Treaty  is  not  concluded  now,  and  in  ten  years'  time 
perhaps  the  Bavarians  are  arrayed  against  us  in  battle, 
what  will  history  say  when  it  becomes  known  that  the 
negotiations  miscarried  owing  to  these  collars  ? '  More- 
over, the  King  is  not  the  worst — but  rather  the  Minister 
of  War."  As  I  was  then  called  away  I  could  not  for 
the  moment  unriddle  this  mystery.  I  afterwards  learned 
that  the  question  was  whether  the  Bavarian  officers 
should  in  future  wear  the  badge  of  their  rank  on  their 
collars  as  hitherto,  or  on  their  shoulder-straps  like  the 
North  German  troops.  Bucher  having  alluded  to  the 
strong  Republican  sympathies  which  Alten  had  yesterday 
displayed,  Pless  also  observed :  "  Really  if  we  had 
known  what  sort  of  people  these  Princes  were  at  the  time 


320  ''QUEENS  AND  PRINCESSES''       [Nov.  23, 1870 

we  were  discussing  the  Criminal  Code  in  the  Diet 
we  should  not  have  helped  to  make  the  provisions 
respecting  lese-majeste  so  severe."  The  Chief  remarked, 
with  a  laugh  :  "  Every  one  of  us  has  already  deserved 
ten  years'  penal  servitude  if  all  our  jibbing  at  princes 
during  the  campaign  were  proved  against  us." 

We  were  joined  at  dinner  by  Count  Frankenberg 
and  Prince  Putbus.  Both  wore  the  Iron  Cross.  The 
guests  mentioned  that  people  were  very  anxious  in 
Berlin  for  the  bombardment  to  begin  and  grumbled  a 
great  deal  at  its  postponement.  The  rumour  as  to  the 
influence  of  certain  great  ladies  being  one  of  the  causes 
of  the  delay  appears  to  be  very  widespread.  "  I  have 
often  told  the  King  so,"  said  the  Chief,  "  but  it  cannot  be' 
done  ;  they  will  not  have  it."  "  The  Queen  ? "  suggested 
some  one.  "  Several  queens,"  corrected  the  Chancellor, 
"  and  princesses.  I  believe  also  that  Masonic  influences 
and  scruples  have  helped."  He  then  again  declared 
that  he  regarded  the  investment  of  Paris  as  a  blunder. 
"  I  have  never  been  in  favour  of  it.  If  they  had  left 
it  alone  we  should  have  made  more  progress,  or  at 
least  we  should  have  had  a  better  position  before 
Europe.  We  have  certainly  not  added  to  our  prestige 
by  spending  eight  weeks  outside  Paris.  We  ought  to 
have  left  Paris  alone  and  sought  the  French  in  the  open 
country.  But  otherwise  the  bombardment  ought  to 
have  begun  at  once.     If  a  thing  has  to  be  done,  do  it !  " 

The  conversation  then  turned  upon  the  treatment  of 
the  French  rural  population,  and  Putbus  related  that  a 
Bavarian  oflicer  had  ordered  a  whole  village  to  be 
burned  to  the  ground  and  the  wine  in  the  cellars  to  be 
poured  out  into  the  gutter  because  the  inhabitants  of 
the  place  had  acted  treacherously.  Some  one  else 
observed  that  the  soldiers  at  some  other  place  had  given 


Nov.  23,  1870]     "  BE  CIVIL,  BUT  HANG  ALL  THE  SAME  "     321 


a  fearful  dressing  to  a  cure  who  had  been  caught  in  an 
act  of  treachery.  The  Minister  again  praised  the 
energy  of  the  Bavarians,  but  said  with  regard  to  the 
second  case  :  "  One  ought  either  to  treat  people  as  con- 
siderately as  possible  or  to  put  it  out  of  their  power  to 
do  mischief — one  or  the  other."  After  reflecting  for  a 
moment,  he  added  :  "Be  civil  to  the  very  last  step  of 
the  gallows,  but  hang  all  the  same.  One  should  only  be 
rude  to  a  friend  when  one  feels  sure  that  he  will  not  take 
it  amiss.  How  rude  one  is  to  his  wife,  for  instance  ! 
That  reminds  me,  by  the  way,  Herr  von  Keudell,  will 
you  please  telegrapli  to  Reinfeld,  '  If  a  letter  comes 
from  Count  Bismarck  hold  it  back,  and  forward  it  to 
the  Poste  Restante  or  to  Berlin '  ?  I  have  written 
various  things  to  my  wife  which  are  not  overflowing 
with  loyal  reverence.  My  father-in-law  is  an  old  gentle- 
man of  eighty-one,  and  as  the  Countess  has  now  left 
Beinfeld,  where  she  was  on  a  visit  to  him,  he  would  open 
and  read  the  letter  and  show  it  to  the  pastor,  who 
would  tell  his  gossips  about  it,  and  presently  it  would 
get  into  the  newspapers." 

Bleibtreu's  sketch  representing  General  Reille  as  he 
came  up  the  hill  at  Sedan  to  deliver  Napoleon's  letter  to 
the  King  was  then  mentioned,  and  some  one  remarked 
that  from  the  way  in  which  the  general  was  taking  off"  his 
cap,  he  looked  as  if  he  were  going  to  shout  Hurrah  ! 
The  Chief  said :  "  His  demeanour  was  thoroughly 
dignified  and  correct.  I  spoke  to  him  alone  while  the 
King  was  writing  his  reply.  He  urged  that  hard 
conditions  should  not  be  imposed  upon  a  great  army 
which  had  fought  so  bravely.  I  shrugged  my  shoulders. 
He  then  said  rather  than  submit  they  would  blow  up 
the  fortress.  I  said,  '  Well,  do  so — -faites  sauter  ! '  I 
asked  him  then  if  the  Emperor  could  still  depend  upon 
VOL.  I  y 


322  GERMAN  UNITY  IS  SECURE        [Nov.  23,  1870 

the  army  and  the  officers.  He  said  yes.  And  whether 
his  instructions  and  orders  still  held  good  in  Metz  % 
Eeille  answered  this  question  also  in  the  affirmative, 
and,  as  we  saw,  he  was  right  at  the  time.  ...  If 
Napoleon  had  only  made  peace  then  I  believe  he  would 
still  be  a  respected  ruler.  But  he  is  a  silly  fool !  I 
said  so  sixteen  years  ago  when  no  one  would  believe  me. 
Stupid  and  sentimental.  The  King  also  thought  for  the 
moment  that  it  would  be  peace,  and  wanted  me  to  say 
what  conditions  we  should  propose.  But  I  said  to 
him  '  Your  Majesty,  we  can  hardly  have  got  as  far 
as  that  yet.'  Their  Highnesses  and  Serene  Highnesses 
then  pressed  so  close  to  us  that  I  had  twice  to  beg  the 
King  to  move  further  off.  I  should  have  preferred  to 
tell  them  plainly,  *  Gentlemen,  leave  us  alone ;  you  have 
nothing  to  do  here.'  The  one  thing  which  prevented 
me  from  being  rude  to  them  was  that  the  brother  of  our 
Most  Gracious  was  the  ringleader  and  chief  offender  of 
the  whole  prying  mob." 

About  10  o'clock  I  went  down  to  tea,  and  found 
Bismarck — Bohlen  and  Hatzfeldt  still  there.  The  Chief 
was  in  the  salon  with  the  three  Bavarian  Pleni- 
potentiaries. In  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  he  opened 
one  side  of  the  door,  bent  his  head  forward  with  his 
friendliest  look,  and  came  in  with  a  glass  in  his  hand 
and  took  a  seat  at  the  table. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  his  voice  and  looks  betraying  his 
emotion,  "  the  Bavarian  Treaty  is  made  and  signed. 
German  unity  is  secure,  and  the  German  Emperor  too." 
We  were  all  silent  for  a  moment.  I  then  begged  to  be 
allowed  to  bring  away  the  pen  with  which  he  had  signed 
it.  ''  In  God's  name,  bring  all  three,"  he  said  ;  "  but 
the  gold  one  is  not  amongst  them."  I  went  and  took 
the  three  pens  that  lay  near  the  document.     Two  of 


Nov.  23,  1 870]      A  GER}f AN  EMPIRE  AND  EMPEROR         323 

them  were  still  wet.  Two  empty  champagne  bottles 
stood  close  by.  "  Bring  us  another  bottle,"  said  the 
Chief  to  the  servant.  "  It  is  an  event."  Then,  after 
reflecting  for  a  while,  he  observed :  "  The  newspapers 
will  not  be  satisfied,  and  he  who  writes  history  in  the 
usual  way  may  criticise  our  agreement.  He  may 
possibly  say,  '  The  stupid  fellow  should  have  asked  for 
more  ;  he  would  have  got  it,  as  they  would  have  been 
compelled  to  yield.'  And  he  may  be  right  so  far  as  the 
'  compelled '  is  concerned.  But  what  I  attached  more 
importance  to  was  that  they  should  be  thoroughly 
pleased  with  the  thing.  What  are  treaties  when  people 
are  compelled  to  enter  into  them  !  And  I  know  that 
they  went  away  pleased  ....  I  did  not  want  to 
squeeze  them  or  to  make  capital  out  of  the  situation. 
The  Treaty  has  its  deficiencies,  but  it  is  for  that  reason 
all  the  more  durable.  The  future  can  supply  those 
deficiencies  ....  The  King  also  was  not  satisfied. 
He  was  of  opinion  that  such  a  Treaty  was  not  worth 
much.  My  opinion  is  quite  difierent.  I  consider  it  one 
of  the  most  important  results  which  we  have  attained 
during  recent  years.  I  finally  succeeded  in  carrying  it 
through  by  exciting  apprehensions  of  English  inter- 
vention unless  the  matter  were  speedily  settled  .... 
As  to  the  question  of  the  Emperor,  I  made  that  proposal 
palatable  to  them  in  the  course  of  the  negotiations  by 
representing  that  it  must  be  easier  and  more  satisfactory 
for  their  sovereign  to  concede  certain  rights  to  the  German 
Emperor  than  to  the  neighbouring  King  of  Prussia." 

On  the  Minister  then  speaking  somewhat  slightingly 
of  the  King  of  Bavaria,  he  was  like  a  boy,  did  not  know 
his  own  mind,  lived  in  "  dreams,"  and  so  on — Abeken 
(who  had  entered  in  the  meantime,  and  was  naturally 
aggrieved  at  these  remarks)  said  :  "  But  surely  the  youno- 

Y  2 


324  THE  ANGEL  OF  DEATH  [Nov.  24,  1870 

King  is  a  very  nice  man  !  "  "So  are  all  of  us  here," 
said  tlie  Chief,  as  he  looked  round  at  the  whole  company 
one  after  another.  Loud  laughter  from  the  Centre  and 
the  Left.  Over  a  second  bottle  of  champagne  which  he 
drank  with  us,  the  Chief  came  (I  forget  how  the  subject 
was  introduced)  to  speak  of  his  own  death.  He  asserted 
that  he  should  die  in  his  7lst  year,  a  conclusion  which 
he  arrived  at  from  some  combination  of  figures  which  I 
could  not  understand.  I  said :  "  Excellency  must  not 
do  that.  It  would  be  too  early.  One  must  drive  away 
the  Angel  of  Death  !  " 

"  No,"  he  replied.  "  In  1886— still  fifteen  years.  I 
know  it.     It  is  a  mystic  number." 

Thursday,  November  24.th. — Busily  engaged  all  the 
morning  with  various  articles  on  the  Treaty  with 
Bavaria,  written  in  the  sense  of  the  Chiefs  utterances  of 
last  night.  WoUmann  told  me  that  a  Colonel  Krohn  had 
arrested  a  lawyer  at  a  place  in  the  Ardennes  for  having 
treacherously  entered  into  communication  with  a  band 
of  franctireurs,  and  the  court-martial  having  sentenced 
the  man  to  death,  he  had  presented  a  petition  for  pardon. 
The  Chief  had,  however,  written  to  the  Minister  of  War 
to-day  that  he  would  advise  the  King  to  let  justice  take 
its  course. 

Colonel  Tilly,  of  the  General  Staff,  and  Major  Hill 
are  the  Chiefs  guests  at  dinner  to-day.  The  Minister 
again  complained  that  the  military  authorities  do  not 
communicate  sufficient  information  to  him  and  too 
seldom  consult  him.  "It  was  just  the  same  with  the 
appointment  of  Vogel  von  Falkenstein,  who  has  now 
locked  up  Jacoby.  If  I  have  to  speak  on  that  subject 
in  the  Reichstag,  I  shall  wash  my  hands  of  the  matter. 
They  could  not  possibly  have  done  more  to  spoil  the 
broth    for  me."     "  I    came  to  the   war,"  he   repeated, 


Nov.  24, 1870]  THE  CROWN  PRINCESS  325 

"  disposed  to  do  everything  for  the  military  authorities, 
but  in  future  I  shall  go  over  to  the  advocates  of 
Parliamentar}^  government,  and  if  they  worry  me  much 
more,  I  shall  have  a  chair  placed  for  myself  on  the 
extreme  Left." 

The  Treaty  with  Bavaria  was  then  mentioned,  and 
it  was  said  that  the  difficulties  which  had  been  en- 
countered arose  partly  on  the  National  side,  on  which 
the  Minister  observed,  "It  is  really  remarkable  how 
many  clever  people  there  are  who,  nevertheless,  under- 
stand nothing  about  politics.  For  instance,  the  man 
who  always  sat  on  my  right  here  (Delbriick).  A  very 
clever  man,  but  no  politician." 

Suddenly  changing  the  subject,  he  said :  "  The 
English  are  beside  themselves,  and  their  newspapers 
demand  war  on  account  of  a  note  which  is  nothing 
more  than  a  statement  of  opinion  on  a  point  of  law — for 
that  is  all  that  Gortschakoff's  Note  amounts  to." 

Later  on  the  Minister  returned  once  more  to  the 
postponement  of  the  bombardment,  which  he  regarded 
as  dangerous  from  a  political  standpoint.  "  Here  we 
have  now  collected  this  enormous  mass  of  siege  artillery. 
The  whole  world  is  waiting  for  us  to  begin,  and  yet  the 
guns  remain  idle  up  to  the  present.  That  has  certainly 
damaged  us  with  the  neutral  Powers.  The  effect  of  our 
success  at  Sedan  is  very  seriously  diminished  thereby, 
and  when  one  thinks  on  what  grounds."  One  of  the 
causes  of  the  delay  brought  him  to  speak  of  the  Crown 
Princess,  of  whom  he  said  :  "  She  is  in  general  a  very 
clever  person,  and  really  agreeable  in  her  way,  but  she 
should  not  interfere  in  politics."  He  then  again  related 
the  anecdote  about  the  glass  of  water  which  he  told  me 
near  Crehanges,  only  this  time  it  was  in  French  that  the 
Princess  spoke. 


326  LORD  GRANVILLE'S  NOTE         [Nov.  26,  1870 

Friday,  Novewher  25fh. — In  the  morning  I  cut 
out  for  the  King  an  article  from  the  Neiie  Freie  Presse, 
in  which  Granville's  note  is  described  as  timid  and 
colourless ;  and  arrange  for  the  republication  by  all 
our  papers  in  France  of  the  telegram  of  July  last,  in 
which  Napoleon  stated  that  the  whole  French  people 
approved  of  the  declaration  of  war  which  he  had  just 
despatched. 

Whilst  I  was  walking  with  Wollmann  in  the  after- 
noon, he  told  me  an  anecdote  of  the  Chief  which  is 
very  neat — although  I  must  add  that  my  informant  is 
not  quite  trustworthy.  Wollmann  said  :  "  On  the  night 
of  the  14th  to  the  15th  of  June,  1866,  Manteuffel  tele- 
graphed that  he  had  crossed  the  Elbe,  and  asked  how 
he  was  to  treat  the  Hanoverians.  Thereupon  the 
Minister  wrote  the  answer  :  '  Treat  them  as  country- 
men, if  necessary  to  death.'  He  asked  me :  '  Do 
you  understand  that  ? '  '  Yes,  Excellency,'  I  replied. 
'  All  right  then,'  he  added,  '  but,  you  see,  it  is  for  a 
general' " 

Saturday,  November  26th. — Wrote  several  articles, 
including  one  on  Trochu's  extraordinary  production  in 
the  Figaro  of  the  22nd  instant,  praising  those  whom  he 
considered  specially  deserving  of  commendation  in  the 
defence  of  the  city.  The  Chief  read  over  to  me  some 
of  the  passages  he  had  marked,  saying:  "These  heroic 
deeds  of  the  defenders  of  Paris  are  mostly  of  such  an 
ordinary  kind  that  Prussian  generals  would  not  think 
them  worth  mentioning  ;  while  others  are  mere  swagger 
and  obvious  impossibilities.  Trochu's  braves  have  made 
more  prisoners  when  they  are  all  reckoned  up  than  the 
whole  French  army  during  the  entire  investment  of 
Paris.  Then  here  is  this  Captain  Montbrisson,  who  is 
commended    for  having   marched    at  the  head   of  his 


1 


Nov.  26, 1870]  FRENCH  HEROICS  327 


column  to  the  attack,  and  had  himself  lifted  over  a  wall 
in  order  to  reconnoitre, — that  was  merely  his  duty. 
Then  here  this  theatrical  vanity,  where  Private  Gletty 
made  prisoners  of  three  Prussians,  "pav  la  fermete  de  son 
attitude.  The  firmness  of  his  attitude  !  And  our 
Pomeranians  ate  humble  pie  before  him  !  That  may 
do  for  a  Boulevard  theatre,  or  a  circus, — but  in 
reality !  Then  this  Hoff,  who  on  several  occasions 
slaughtered  in  single  combat  no  less  than  twenty-seven 
Prussians  !  He  must  be  a  Jew,  this  triple  nine-pounder  ! 
Probably  a  cousin  of  Malz-HofF  of  the  Old  or  New 
Wilhelmstrasse — at  any  rate  a  Miles  Gloriosus.  And 
finally  this  Terreaux,  who  captured  a  fcmion,  together 
with  the  "porte-f anion.  That  is  a  company  flag  for 
markino-  the  line — which  we  do  not  use  at  all.  And 
the  Commander-in-Chief  of  an  army  officially  reports 
such  stuff!  Really  this  list  of  commendations  is  just 
like  the  battle  pictures  in  the  gallery  of  toutes  les  gloires 
de  la  France,  where  each  drummer  at  Sebastopol  and 
Magenta  is  preserved  for  posterity,  simply  because  he 
beat  his  drum." 

At  dinner  the  Chief  complained  :  "  I  was  yesterday 
visited  by  a  whole  series  of  misfortunes,  one  on  top  of 
the  other.  First  of  all  some  one  wanted  to  see  me  on 
important  business  (Odo  Russell).  I  send  word  re- 
questing him  to  wait  for  a  few  moments,  as  I  am 
engaged  on  a  pressing  matter.  On  my  asking  for  him  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  later,  I  find  he  has  gone,  and  possibly 
the  peace  of  Europe  is  at  stake. 

"Then  I  go  to  see  the  King  as  early  as  12  o'clock, 
and  the  consequence  is  that  I  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
Grand  Duke  of  Weimar,  who  obliges  me,  as  his  Chan- 
cellor, to  listen  to  a  letter  which  he  has  ^\Titten  to  an 
august  personage   (the  Emperor   of   Russia),   and  thus 


328     STRONG  LANGUAGE  TO  A  GRAND  DUKE    [Nov.  27, 1870 

wastes  a  good  deal  of  my  time.  ...  T  am  to  tell  liim 
what  I  think  of  the  letter,  but  I  decline  to  do  so.  Have 
I  then  anything  to  object  to  it  ?  he  asked  in  a  piqued 
tone.  I  cannot  say  that  either,  although  I  would 
observe  that  I  should  have  written  the  letter  differently. 
What  do  I  wish  altered  ?  I  stick  to  my  point,  and  say 
I  cannot  express  an  opinion,  because  if  the  letter  went 
with  my  corrections  I  should  be  held  responsible  for  its 
contents.  '  Well,  then,  I  must  speak  to  the  King.' 
*  Do  so,'  I  reply  coolly,  '  and  take  over  the  office  of 
Chancellor  of  the  Confederation,  if  you  like.  But  if  tlio 
letter  goes  off,  I  for  my  part  shall  immediately  telegraph 
to  the  place  of  destination  that  I  have  had  nothing  to 
do  with  it.'  I  thus  lost  an  hour,  so  that  telegrams  of  great 
importance  had  to  wait,  and  in  the  meantime,  decisions 
may  have  been  arrived  at  and  resolutions  taken  which 
would  have  very  serious  consequences  for  all  Europe,  and 
might  change  the  political  situation.  That  all  came  of 
its  being  a  Friday.  Friday  negotiations,  Friday 
measures ! " 

Bucher  told  me  the  Crown  Prince  recently  said  to  the 
Chancellor  that  too  little  had  been  secured  by  the 
Bavarian  Treaty.  After  such  great  successes  we  ought 
to  have  asked  for  more.  "  Yes  ;•  but  how  were  we  to  get 
it  ? "  asked  the  Chief.  "  Why,  we  ought  to  force  them," 
was  the  Crown  Prince's  reply.  "  Then,"  said  the  Chan- 
cellor, "  I  can  only  recommend  your  Royal  Highness  to 
begin  by  disarming  the  Bavarian  Army  Corps  here,"  a 
remark  which,  of  course,  was  intended  ironically. 

Sunday,  Novemher  27th. — We  were  joined  at  dinner 
by  Count  Lehndorff  and  Count  Holnstein.  The  latter 
is  Master  of  the  Horse  to  King  Lewis,  and  one  of  his 
confidential  advisers. 

The  Chief  spoke  at  first  of  the  Russian  question.     He 


Nov.  27,  1870]      THE  TURCOS  ARE  "  BEASTS  OF  PREY''     329 

said :  "  Vienna,  Florence,  and  Constantinople  have  not 
yet  expressed  their  views ;  but  St.  Petersburg  and 
London  have  done  so,  and  those  are  the  most  important 
factors.     There,  however,  the  matter  is  satisfactory." 

Subsequently  affairs  at  Munich  were  discussed. 
Holnstein  observing,  amongst  other  things,  that  the 
French  Legation  had  greatly  deceived  themselves  before 
the  outbreak  of  the  war  as  to  the  attitude  of  Bavaria. 
They  judged  by  two  or  three  ardently  Catholic  and  anti- 
Prussian  salons,  and  even  thought  that  Prince  Luitpold 
would  become  King.  The  Chief  replied :  "I  never 
doubted  that  Bavaria  would  join  us,  but  I  had  not  hoped 
that  she  would  decide  so  speedily  to  do  so." 

Holnstein  told  us  that  a  shoemaker  in  Munich  had 
made  a  good  deal  of  money  by  letting  his  windows,  from 
which  a  good  view  could  be  had  of  the  captured  Turcos 
as  they  marched  by,  and  presented  seventy-nine  florins  to 
the  fund  for  the  wounded  soldiers.  People  had  come 
even  from  Vienna  to  see  that  procession.  This  led  the 
conversation  to  the  shooting  of  these  treacherous 
Africans,  on  which  the  Chief  said  :  "  There  should  have 
been  no  question  of  making  prisoners  of  these  blacks." 
Holnstein  :  "I  believe  they  do  not  do  so  any  longer." 
The  Chief :  "  If  I  had  my  way  every  soldier  who  made 
a  black  man  prisoner  should  be  placed  under  arrest. 
They  are  beasts  of  prey,  and  ought  to  be  shot  down. 
The  fox  has  the  excuse  that  Nature  has  made  him  so, 
but  these  fellows — they  are  abominably  unnatural. 
They  have  tortured  our  soldiers  to  death  in  the  most 
shameful  way." 


CHAPTER   XIII 

REMOVAL  OF  THE  ANXIETY  RESPECTING  THE  BAVARIAN 
TREATY  IN  THE  REICHSTAG — THE  BOMBARDMENT 
FURTHER    POSTPONED. 

Monday,  Novemher  2Sth. — Prince  Pless  and  Count 
Maltzahn  dined  with  us.  At  first  the  Minister  spoke 
about  Hume,  the  American  spiritualist,  a  doubtful 
character,  who  had  been  at  Versailles,  and  who  was  to 
be  arrested  if  he  showed  himself  here  again.  The 
Chief  then  said :  "  The  fellow  managed  to  sneak  into 
the  Crown  Prince's.  But  that  is  explained  by  the  fact 
that  whoever  can  speak  even  broken  English  is  welcome 
there.  The  next  thing  will  be  for  them  to  appoint 
Colonel  Walker  my  successor  as  Chancellor  of  the 
Confederation."^  Bohlen  exclaimed,  "I  suppose  you 
know  that  Garibaldi  has  been  thrashed."  Some  one 
observed  that  if  he  were  taken  prisoner  he  ought  to  be 
shot  for  having  meddled  in  the  war  without  authority. 
"They  ought  to  be  first  put  into  a  cage  like  beasts 
in  a  menagerie,"  said  Bohlen.  "  No,"  said  the  Minister ; 
"  I  have  another  idea.  They  should  be  taken  to  Berlin, 
and  marched  through  the  town  with  these  words  on  a 
placard  suspended  round  their  necks,  '  Italians,  House 

1  Walker,  the  English  Kutusoff  of  Count  Bismarck-Bohlen,  H.B.M.'s 
Military  Plenipotentiary  at  headquarters,  was  not  held  in  much  estimation 
by  the  Chancellor  and  his  entouraye. 


Nov.  28,  1870]  A  MALINGERING  KING  331 

of  Correction,  Ingratitude/  and  be  tlien  marched 
through  the  town."  "And  afterwards  to  Spandau," 
suggested  Bohlen.  The  Chief  added,  "  Or  one  might 
inscribe  merely  the  words,  '  Italians,  Venice,  Spandau.'  " 

The  Bavarian  question  and  the  situation  at  Munich 
was  then  discussed.  The  Chief  said :  "The  King  is 
undecided.  It  is  obvious  that  he  would  rather  not. 
He  accordingly  pretends  to  be  ill,  has  toothache,  keeps 
to  his  bed,  where  the  Ministers  cannot  reach  him.  Or 
he  retires  to  a  distant  hunting-box  in  the  mountains  to 
which  there  is  no  telegraph  line,  nor  even  a  proper 
road." 

Some  one  having  remarked  that  in  the  present  circum- 
stances he  is,  after  all,  the  best  Bavarian  ruler  for  our 
purposes,  the  Chief  said:  "Yes;  if  he  were  to  die  he  would 
be  succeeded  by  little  Otto,  whom  we  have  had  here.  A 
poor  creature,  with  very  little  intelligence.  He  would 
be  entirely  in  the  hands  of  the  Austrians  and  Ultra- 
montanes.  He  has  ruined  himself;  that  is,  if  he  was 
ever  worth  anything." 

General  Reille's  name  again  brought  up  the  question 
of  Napoleon's  surrender.  "  The  King  thought,"  said 
the  Chancellor,  "  on  reading  Napoleon's  letter,  that  it 
meant  more  for  us  than  it  did.  '  He  must  at  least 
surrender  Metz  to  us,'  said  the  King  to  me.  I  replied, 
'  I  do  not  know,  your  Majesty ;  we  are  not  aware  what 
power  he  still  has  over  the  troops.'  The  Emperor 
should  not  have  needlessly  surrendered  himself  as  a 
prisoner,  but  have  made  peace  with  us.  His  generals 
would  have  followed  him."  The  Minister  then  again 
related  the  incident  of  the  letter  Weimar  wished  to 
write  to  the  Emperor  Alexander ;  and  it  appeared  that 
the  day  before  yesterday  the  Chief  had,  in  a  moment  of 
irritation,  represented   the    expressions  which    he  had 


332  BISHOP  DUPANLOUP  [Nov.  28, 1870 

used  in  speaking  to  the  Grand  Duke  as  stronger  than 
they  actually  were.  According  to  the  present  account, 
Weimar  said,  in  conclusion,  that  his  only  object  was  a 
patriotic  one.  He  (the  Minister)  replied  he  quite  be- 
lieved that,  but  it  would  not  make  the  letter  any  more 
useful.     The  letter  has  probably  not  been  sent  off. 

The  question  of  the  bombardment  then  came  up, 
and,  in  connection  therewith,  the  intrigues  which  are 
now  being  carried  on  by  Bishop  Dupanloup,  and  the 
part  he  played  in  the  opposition  at  the  Vatican  Council. 
"Women  and  freemasons,"  said  the  Chief,  "are  chiefly 
responsible  if  our  operations  against  Paris  are  not  con- 
ducted as  energetically  as  they  should  be.     Dupanloup 

has   influenced  Augusta He    also  wrote   me   a 

pile  of  letters,  and  took  mc  in  to  such  an  extent  that  I 
sent  them  to  Twickenham."  (The  Chancellor  must 
have  meant  Chislehurst).  "He  must  be  packed  off 
when  our  people  get  to  Orleans,  so  that  Von  der  Tann 
may  not  be  swindled  by  him."  ....  "That  reminds 
me,"  continued  the  Chief,  "  that  the  Pope  has  written  a 
very  nice  letter  to  the  French  Bishops,  or  to  several  of 
them,  saying  that  they  should  not  enter  into  any  under- 
standing with  the  Garibaldians." 

Somebody  having  expressed  anxiety  about  some 
matter  which  I  was  unable  to  catch,  the  Chief  observed  : 
"  A  more  important  question  for  me — indeed,  the  most 
important — is  what  will  be  done  at  Villa  Coublay ;  that 
is  the  main  point.  The  Crown  Prince  said  recently, 
when  I  mentioned  the  matter  to  him,  '  I  am  ready  to 
give  up  the  command  for  that  purpose.'  I  felt  like 
replying,  'And  I  am  prepared  to  assume  it.'  Give  me 
the  post  of  Commander-in-Chief  for  twenty-four  hours, 
and  1  will  take  it  upon  myself.  I  would  then  give  one 
command  only  :  '  Commence  the  bombardment.'  " 


THE  CROWN  PRINCE  AND  THE  BOMBARDMENT      333 

Villa  Coublay  is  a  place  not  far  from  Versailles, 
where  the  siege  park  has  been  collected  and  still 
remains,  instead  of  being  placed  in  position.  Bucher 
tells  me  that  the  Chancellor  has  appealed  directly  to 
the  King  to  hasten  the  bombardment.  The  Chief  con- 
tinued:  "The  assertion  of  the  generals  that  they  have 
not  enough  ammunition  is  untrue.  They  do  not  want 
to  begin  because  the  Heir  Apparent  does  not  wish  it. 
He  does  not  wish  it  because  his  wife  and  his  mother- 
in-law  are  against  it. 

"  They  have  brought  together  three  hundred  cannon 
and  fifty  or  sixty  mortars,  and  five  hundred  rounds  of 
ammunition  for  each  gun.  That  is  certainly  enough. 
I  have  been  speaking  to  artillerymen,  who  said  that  they 
had  not  used  half  as  much  ammunition  at  Strassburg  as 
they  have  collected  here  ;  and  Strassburg  was  a  Gibraltar 
compared  to  Paris.  It  would  be  easy  to  fire  the  bar- 
racks on  Mont  Valerien,  and  if  the  forts  of  Issy  and 
Vanvres  were  properly  shelled  so  that  the  garrisons 
should  be  compelled  to  bolt,  the  enceinte  (of  course  we 
know  it)  would  be  of  little  importance.  The  ditch  is 
not  broader  than  the  length  of  this  room.  I  am  con- 
vinced that  if  we  poured  shells  into  the  city  itself  for 
five  or  six  days,  and  they  found  out  that  our  guns  reached 
farther  than  theirs — that  is  to  say,  9,000  yards — Paris 
would  give  in.  True  enough  the  wealthier  quarters  are 
on  this  side  of  the  city,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  indifi'erence 
to  the  people  at  Belleville  whether  we  blow  them  to 
pieces  or  not ;  indeed,  they  are  pleased  when  we 
destroy  the  houses  of  the  richer  classes.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  we  ought  to  have  attacked  Paris  from  another 
direction ;  or  still  better,  left  it  altogether  alone,  and 
continued  our  forward  march.  Now,  however,  that  we 
have  begun,  we  must  set  about  the  afi'air  in  earnest. 


334         NO  COERCION  FOR  SOUTH  GERMANY    [Nov.  28, 1870 

Starving  them  out  may  last  a  long  time,  perhaps  till 
the  spring.  At  any  rate,  they  have  flour  enough  up  to 
January.  ...  If  we  had  begun  the  bombardment  at 
the  right  time,  there  would  have  been  no  question  of 
the  Loire  army.  After  the  engagement  at  Orleans, 
where  Von  der  Tann  was  obliged  to  retire,  the  military 
authorities  (not  I)  regarded  our  position  in  Versailles 
as  critical.  Had  we  begun  the  bombardment  four  weeks 
ago,  we  should  now  in  all  probability  be  in  Paris,  and 
that  is  the  main  point.  As  it  is,  however,  the  Parisians 
imagine  that  we  are  forbidden  to  fire  by  liOndon,  St. 
Petersburg,  and  Vienna ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
neutral  Powers  believe  that  we  are  not  able  to  do  so. 
The  true  reason,  however,  will  be  known  at  a  future 
time.  One  of  its  consequences  will  be  to  lead  to  a 
restriction  of  personal  rule." 

In  the  evening  I  telegraphed  to  London  that  the 
Reichstag  had  voted  another  hundred  million  thalers  for 
the  continuation  of  the  war  with  France,  eight  social 
democrats  alone  opposing  the  grant.  Also  that  Man- 
teuff"el  has  occupied  Amiens,  Several  paragraphs  were 
afterwards  written  for  the  N orddeutsche,  including  one 
(on  the  directions  of  the  Chief)  in  which  the  moderate 
demands  of  the  Chancellor  in  the  negotiations  with 
Bavaria  were  defended  as  being  not  only  right  and  fair, 
but  also  wise  and  prudent.  I  said  that  the  object  was 
not  so  much  to  secure  this  or  that  desirable  concession 
from  the  authorities  at  Munich  as  to  make  the  South 
German  States  feel  satisfied  in  forming  part  of  the  new 
organisation  of  united  Germany.  Any  pressure  or 
coercion  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  further  concessions 
would,  in  view  of  the  circumstance  that  they  had 
fulfilled  their  patriotic  duty,  be  an  act  of  ingratitude  ; 
while,  in  addition,  it  would  have  been,  above  all  things, 


Nov.  28,  1870]  A  TTACKING  "  A  UGUSTA  "  335 

impolitic  to  show  ourselves  more  exacting  in  our 
demands  upon  our  allies.  The  discontent  which  would 
have  resulted  from  such  an  exercise  of  force  would  have 
far  outweighed  half  a  dozen  more  favourable  clauses  in 
the  Treaty.  That  discontent  would  soon  have  shown 
the  neutral  Powers,  such  as  Austria,  where  to  insert 
the  thin  edge  of  the  wedge  in  order  to  loosen  and 
ultimately  destroy  the  unity  which  had  been  achieved. 

At  dinner  I  suggested  to  Bucher  that  it  might  be 
well  to  ask  the  Chief's  leave  to  hint  in  the  press  at  the 
real  cause  of  the  postponement  of  the  bombardment. 
He  agreed  w^ith  me  that  it  would,  and  added :  "1 
myself  have  already  vehemently  attacked  Augusta  in 
the  newspapers."  On  the  Chancellor  sendino-  for  me 
in  the  evening,  I  said :  "  May  I  venture  to  ask  your 
Excellency  a  question  ?  Would  you  have  any  objection 
if  I  made  a  communication,  in  an  indirect  way,  to  non- 
official  organs  respecting  the  causes  of  the  postponement 
of  the  bombardment,  in  the  sense  in  which  they  have 
repeatedly  been  discussed  at  table  ? "  He  reflected 
for  a  moment,  and  then  said,  "Do  as  you  like."  I 
accordingly  wrote  two  paragraphs — one  for  the  Vossische 
Zeitung,  and  one  for  the  Weser  Zeitung,  which  I  had 
copied  out  by  another  hand  in  Berlin,  and  forwarded  to 
their  destination. 

One  of  these  paragraphs  ran  as  follows  : — 
"  Versailles,  November  29th.  It  has  been  asserted 
here  for  some  considerable  time  past  that  the  real  cause 
of  the  postponement  of  the  bombardment  is  not  so 
much  a  scarcity  of  ammunition  for  the  siege  guns  that 
were  brought  here  weeks  ago,  nor  the  strength  of  the 
forts  and  ramparts  of  Paris ;  in  short,  that  the  delay  is 
not  due  to  military  considerations,  but  rather  to  the 
influence  of  very  highly  placed  ladies,  and — can  it  be 


336  ARMY  DOCTORS  AND  DECORATIONS    [Nov.  29, 1870 

credited  ? — of  freemasons.  I  can  assure  you,  on  very 
good  authority,  that  these  rumours  are  not  unfounded. 
I  have  no  reason  to  apprehend  a  denial  when  I  add 
that  the  interference  of  one  of  these  ladies  has  been 
prompted  by  a  well-known  French  prelate,  who  took  a 
prominent  part  in  the  opposition  at  the  Vatican  Council. 
For  the  moment  we  would  only  ask  a  few  questions  : 
Is  it  true  humanity  to  let  masses  of  gallant  soldiers  fall 
a  prey  to  the  hardships  of  the  investment  by  postponing 
an  artillery  attack  merely  in  order  to  save  a  hostile  city 
from  damage  ?  Is  it  good  policy  to  let  the  impression 
produced  by  Sedan  upon  the  neutral  Powers  be  frittered 
away  by  such  a  postponement  ?  Is  that  true  free- 
masonry which  troubles  itself  with  political  questions  ? 
It  was  thought  hitherto  that  politics  were  not  permitted 
to  enter  into  the  German  lodges." 

Tuesday,  Novemhei'  29th. — In  the  afternoon  I  sent 
off  another  article  on  the  Treaty  with  Bavaria,  which  is 
to  be  reproduced  and  circulated  in  Berlin.  It  is  becoming 
more  and  more  difficult  to  satisfy  the  people  there. 

Lieutenant- General  von  Hartrott  joined  us  at  dinner. 
The  distribution  of  the  Iron  Cross  having  been 
mentioned,  the  Chief  observed :  "  The  army  doctors 
should  receive  the  black  and  white  ribbon.  They  are 
under  fire,  and  it  requires  much  more  courage  and 
determination  to  quietly  allow  one's  self  to  be  shot  at 
than  to  rush  forward  to  the  attack.  .  .  .  Blumenthal 
said  to  me  that  properly  speaking  he  could  do  nothing 
to  deserve  the  Cross,  as  he  was  bound  in  duty  to  keep 
out  of  danger  of  being  shot.  For  that  reason  when  in 
battle  he  always  sought  a  position  from  which  he  could 
see  well  but  could  not  be  easily  hit.  And  he  was 
perfectly  right.  A  general  who  exposes  himself 
unnecessarily  ought  to  be  put  under  arrest." 


Nov.  29,  1870]    THE  KING  DOES  NOT  KNO  W  HO  W  TO  LIE   337 

The  Chancellor  then  remarked  suddenly :  "  The 
King  told  me  an  untruth  to-day.  I  asked  him  if  the 
bombardment  was  not  to  commence,  and  he  replied  that 
he  had  ordered  it.  But  I  knew  immediately  that  that 
was  not  true.  I  know  him.  He  cannot  lie,  or  at  least 
not  in  such  a  way  that  it  cannot  be  detected.  He  at 
once  changes  colour,  and  it  was  particularly  noticeable 
when  he  replied  to  my  question  to-day.  When  I  looked 
at  him  straight  into  his  eyes  he  could  not  stand  it." 
The  conversation  then  turned  upon  the  conduct  of  the 
war.  The  Minister  said :  "  Humility  alone  leads  to 
victory ;  pride  and  self-conceit  to  an  opposite  result." 

The  Chancellor,  speaking  of  his  friend  Dietze,  talked 
of  his  natural  inborn  heartiness — politesse  du  coeur. 
Abeken  asked  if  that  term  was  originally  French,  as 
Goethe  uses  it — Hoflichkeit  des  Herzensf  "It  must 
come  from  the  German,  I  fancy."  "  It  certainly  does," 
replied  the  Chief.  "  It  is  only  to  be  found  amongst  the 
Germans.  I  should  call  it  the  politeness  of  good-will — 
good  nature  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word,  the  politeness 
of  helpful  benevolent  feeling.  You  find  that  amongst 
our  common  soldiers,  although,  of  course,  it  is  some- 
times expressed  rather  crudely.  The  French  have  not 
got  it.  They  only  know  the  politeness  of  hatred  and 
envy.  It  would  be  easier  to  find  something  of  the  kind 
amongst  the  English,"  he  added ;  and  then  went  on  to 
praise  Odo  Russell,  whose  pleasant,  natural  manner  he 
greatly  appreciated.  "  At  first  one  thing  aroused  a 
little  suspicion  against  him  in  my  mind.  I  have 
always  heard  and  found  that  Englishmen  who  know 
F'rench  well  are  not  worth  much,  and  he  speaks  quite 
excellent  French.  But  he  can  also  express  himself  very 
well  in  German." 

At  dessert  the   Minister  said ;  "  I  recognise  that  I 

VOL.  I  Z 


338       QUEEN  VICTORIAS  SENTIMENTALITY    [Nov. 29, 1870 

eat  too  much,  or,  more  correctly,  too  much  at  a  time. 
It  is  a  pity  that  I  cannot  get  rid  of  the  absurd  practice 
of  only  eating  once  a  day.  Formerly  it  was  still  worse. 
In  the  morning  I  drank  my  tea  and  ate  nothing  until 
5  o'clock  in  the  evening,  while  I  smoked  incessantly. 
That  did  me  a  great  deal  of  harm.  Now,  on  the  advice 
of  my  doctor,  I  take  at  least  two  eggs  in  the  morning 
and  smoke  little.  But  I  should  eat  oftener ;  yet  if  I 
take  anything  late  I  cannot  sleep,  as  I  only  digest  while 
awake.  This  morning,  however,  I  got  up  early.  I  was 
waked  by  the  firing  just  at  the  time  when  I  sleep  best, 
that  is  between  7  and  9  o'clock,  and  as  it  seemed  to  be 
near  I  sent  to  inquire  if  the  King  was  going  to  the 
scene  of  the  engagement.  Otherwise  he  might  start 
suddenly  and  go  nobody  knows  where,  or  where  nothing 
is  to  be  seen." 

While  at  tea  the  conversation  turned  once  more  on 
the  now  constant  theme  of  the  postponement  of  the 
bombardment,  and  afterwards  on  the  Geneva  Con- 
vention, which  the  Minister  said  must  be  denounced,  as 
it  was  impossible  to  conduct  war  in  that  manner. 

"  The  principal  reason  why  the  bombardment  is 
delayed,"  said  the  Chancellor,  "  is  the  sentimentality 
of  the  Queen  of  England,  and  the  interference  of  Queen 
Augusta.  .  .  .  That  seems  to  be  a  characteristic  of  the 
HohenzoUerns — their  women  folk  have  always  a  great 
influence  upon  them.  It  was  not  so  with  Frederick  the 
Great,  but  with  his  successor  and  the  late  King,  as  well 
as  the  present  Most  Gracious  and  his  future  Majesty. 
The  most  curious  example  is  that  of  Prince  Charles, 
who  is  anything  but  a  good  husband,  and  yet  depends 
upon  his  wife,  indeed  he  is  thoroughly  afraid  of  her 
and  is  guided  by  her  wishes.  .  .  .  But  it  is  somewhat 
different  with    these    two    (the   King  and   the    Crown 


Nov.  29,  1 870]  PROGRESSISTS  AND  NA  TIONAL  LIBERALS    339 

Prince).  They  want  to  be  praised.  They  like  to  have 
it  said  in  the  English  and  French  press  that  they  are 
considerate  and  generous.  They  find  that  the  Germans 
praise  them  enough  as  it  is." 

It  appears  that  Delbriick  has  not  expressed  himself 
very  clearly  in  his  telegram  respecting  the  prospect  of 
the  agreement  with  Bavaria  being  sanctioned  by  the 
Diet.  It  seems  as  if  there  were  not  sufficient  members 
present  to  form  the  necessary  quorum,  and  that  it 
would  be  opposed  both  by  the  Progressists  and  National 
Liberals.  The  Chief  observed:  "So  far  as  the  Pro- 
gressists are  concerned,  their  conduct  is  consistent. 
They  wish  to  return  to  the  state  of  affairs  which 
prevailed  in  1849.  But  the  National  Liberals?  If 
they  will  not  have  now  what  they  were  striving  for 
with  all  their  might  at  the  beginning  of  the  year,  in 
February,  and  what  it  now  depends  upon  them  to 
secure,  then  w^e  must  dissolve.  The  new  elections  will 
weaken  the  Progressist  party  still  more,  and  some  of 
the  National  Liberals  will  also  lose  their  seats.  But 
in  that  case  the  Treaties  would  not  be  completed. 
Bavaria  would  reconsider  the  matter  ;  Beust  would  put 
his  finger  in  the  pie,  and  we  do  not  know  what  the 
result  would  be.  I  cannot  well  go  to  Berlin.  It  is 
a  very  uncomfortable  journey  and  takes  up  a  lot  of 
time,  and  besides  I  am  really  wanted  here." 

Proceeding  from  this  point  the  Minister  spoke  of 
the  position  of  afiairs  in  1848.  "At  that  period  the 
situation  was  for  a  long  time  very  favourable  for  the 
unification  of  Germany  under  Prussia.  The  smaller 
Sovereigns  were  for  the  most  part  powerless  and  de- 
spondent. If  they  could  only  save  their  money,  their 
domains  and  their  appropriations  they  were  prepared 
to  consent  to  everything.     The  Austrians  were  engaged 

z  2 


340  BISMARCK  TALKS  OF  RESIGNING    [Nov.  30, 1870 


with  Hungary  and  Italy.  The  Tsar  Nicholas  would 
not  have  intervened  at  that  time.  If  they  had  only 
acted  in  a  resolute  way  previous  to  May,  1849,  and  come 
to  terms  with  the  smaller  States  they  would  doubtless 
have  carried  the  South  with  them,  particularly  if  the 
Wlirtemberg  and  Bavarian  armies  joined  the  Baden 
revolution,  which  was  not  impossible  at  that  stage. 
Time  was  lost,  however,  through  hesitation  and  half 
measures,  and  so  the  opportunity  was  thrown  away." 

About  11  o'clock  another  telegram  arrived  from 
Verdy  respecting  this  morning's  sortie  which  was 
directed  against  La  Haye.  Five  hundred  red  breeches 
were  made  prisoners.  The  Chief  bitterly  regretted  that 
further  prisoners  should  be  taken,  and  that  it  was  not 
possible  to  shoot  them  down  on  the  spot.  "  We  have 
more  than  enough  of  them,  while  the  Parisians  have 
the  advantage  of  getting  rid  of  so  many  mouths  to 
feed,  which  must  now  be  supplied  by  us,  and  for  whom 
we  can  hardty  find  room." 

Wednesday,  November  SOth, — Wrote  fully  to 
Treitschke,  giving  him  the  reasons  why  the  demands 
which  he  and  those  of  his  way  of  thinking  consider 
absolutely  necessary  had  not  been  made  upon  the 
Bavarians.  Arranged  to  have  a  similar  communication 
made  to  Schmidt. 

The  Chief  seems  to  be  seriously  considering  the  idea 
of  asking  the  King  to  relieve  him  of  his  office.  Accord- 
ing to  Bucher  he  is  already  on  the  point  of  resigning. 

"  The  Chief,"  he  said,  "  informed  me  of  something 
to-day  which  nobody  else  knows.  He  is  seriously  con- 
sidering whether  he  will  not  break  with  the  King."  1 
said  that  in  that  case  I  should  also  take  my  leave.  I 
did  not  wish  to  serve  under  any  one  else.  Bucher  : 
"  Nor  I  either.     I,  too,  would  then  resign." 


Nov.30,  i87oj       THE  NEUCHATEL  QUESTION  34 1 

At  dinner,  at  which  Prince  Putbus  and  Odo  Russell 
were  present,  the  Chief  related  that  he  had  once  tried 
to  use  his  knowledge  of  State  secrets  for  the  purpose  of 
speculating  in  stocks,  but  that  his  attempt  was  not  suc- 
cessful. ''  I  was  commissioned  in  Berlin,"  he  said,  "  to 
speak  to  Napoleon  on  the  question  of  Neuchatel.  It 
must  have  been  in  the  spring  of  1857.  I  was  to  inquire 
as  to  his  attitude  towards  that  question.  Now,  I 
knew  that  his  answer  would  be  favourable,  and  that 
this  would  mean  a  war  with  Switzerland.  Accordingly, 
on  my  way  through  Frankfurt,  where  I  lived  at  that 
time,  I  called  upon  Rothschild,  whom  I  knew  well,  and 
told  him  I  intended  to  sell  certain  stock  which  I  held, 
and  which  showed  no  disposition  to  rise.  '  I  would  not  do 
that,'  said  Rothschild.  '  That  stock  has  good  prospects. 
You  will  see.'  '  Yes,'  I  said ;  '  but  if  you  knew  the 
object  of  my  journey  you  would  think  otherwise.'  He 
replied  that,  however  that  might  be,  he  could  not  advise 
me  to  sell.  But  I  knew  better,  sold  out  and  departed. 
In  Paris,  Napoleon  was  very  pleasant  and  amiable.  It 
was  true  he  could  not  agree,  as  the  King  wanted  to  let 
us  march  through  Alsace-Lorraine,  which  would  create 
great  excitement  in  France,  but  in  every  other  respect 
he  entirely  approved  of  our  plans.  It  could  only  be  a 
matter  of  satisfaction  to  him  if  that  nest  of  democrats 
were  cleared  out.  I  was,  therefore,  so  far  successful. 
But  I  had  not  reckoned  with  my  King,  who  had  in  the 
meantime,  behind  my  back,  made  different  arrange- 
ments— probably  out  of  consideration  for  Austria ; 
and  so  the  affair  was  dropped.  There  was  no  war,  and 
my  stock  rose  steadily  from  that  time  forward,  and  I 
had  reason  to  regret  parting  with  them." 

Villa    Coublay   and    the    bombardment    were    then 
referred  to,  and  the  alleged  impossibility  of  bringing  up 


342  THE  PRUSSIAN  EMBASSIES  ABROAD    [Nov.  30,  1870 


at  once  the  necessary  supply  of  ammunition.  The  Chief 
said  :  ''I  have  already  informed  the  august  gentlemen 
a  couple  of  times  that  we  have  here  a  whole  herd  of 
horses  that  must  be  ridden  out  daily  merely  for  exercise. 
Why  should  they  not  be  employed  for  once  to  better 
purpose  ? " 

It  was  mentioned  that  the  Palazzo  Caffarelli  in  Rome 
had  been  purchased  for  the  German  Embassy,  and  both 
Russell  and  Abeken  said  it  was  a  very  fine  building. 
The  Chancellor  observed :  "  Wei],  we  have  also  hand- 
some houses  elsewhere,  in  Paris  and  in  London.  Accord- 
ing to  Continental  ideas,  however,  the  London  house 
is  too  small.  Bernstorff  has  so  little  room  that  he  has 
to  give  up  his  own  apartments  when  he  has  a  reception 
or  any  other  function  of  the  kind.  His  Secretary  of 
Embassy  is  better  off  in  that  respect.  The  Embassy 
in  Paris  is  handsome  and  well  situated.  Indeed,  it  is 
probably  the  best  Embassy  in  Paris,  and  represents  a 
considerable  money  value,  so  that  it  has  already  occurred 
to  me  whether  it  might  not  be  well  to  sell  it  and  give 
the  interest  on  the  capital  to  the  Ambassador  as  an 
allowance  for  rent.  The  interest  on  two  and  a  half 
million  francs  would  be  a  considerable  addition  to  his 
salary,  which  only  amounts  to  one  hundred  thousand 
francs.  But  on  thinking  the  matter  over  more  I  found 
that  it  would  not  do.  It  is  not  becoming,  not  worthy 
of  a  great  State,  that  its  Ambassador  should  live  in  a 
hired  house,  where  he  would  be  subject  to  notice  to 
quit,  and  on  leaving  would  have  to  remove  the  archives 
in  a  cart.  We  ought,  and  must  have,  our  own  houses 
everywhere."  ...  "  Our  London  house  is  an  excep- 
tional case.  It  belongs  to  the  King,  and  everything 
depends  on  the  way  in  which  the  Ambassador  knows 
how  to  look  after  his  own  interest.     It  may  happen  that 


Nov.  so,  1870]    BRITISH  AMBASSADORS  IN  BERLIN  343 

the  King   receives   no  rent — that  actually  does  occur 
sometimes." 

The  Chief  spoke  very  highly  of  Napier,  the  former 
English  Ambassador  in  Berlin.  "  He  was  very  easy  to 
get  on  with.  Buchanan  was  also  a  good  man,  rather 
dry,  perhaps,  but  absolutely  trustworthy.  Now  we  have 
Loftus.  The  position  of  an  English  Ambassador  in 
Berlin  has  its  own  special  duties  and  difficulties,  if  only 
on  account  of  the  personal  relations  of  the  two  Koyal 
families.  It  demands  a  great  deal  of  tact  and  care." 
(Presumably  a  quiet  hint  that  Loftus  does  not  fulfil 
those  requirements.) 

The  Minister  then  led  the  conversation  on  to  Gram- 
mont.  He  said :  "  Grammont  and  Ollivier  strike  me 
also  as  a  pretty  pair  !  If  that  had  happened  to  me — if 
I  had  been  the  cause  of  such  disasters,  I  would  at  least 
have  joined  a  regiment,  or,  for  the  matter  of  that,  have 
become  a  franctireur,  even  if  I  had  had  to  swing  for 
it.  A  tall,  strong,  coarse  fellow  like  Grammont  would 
be  exactly  suited  for  a  soldier's  life." 

Eussell  mentioned  having  once  seen  Grammont  out 
shooting  in  Rome  dressed  in  blue  velvet.  "  Yes,"  added 
the  Chief,  "  he  is  a  good  sportsman.  He  has  the  strength 
of  muscle  required  for  it.  He  would  have  made  an 
excellent  gamekeeper.  But  as  a  Minister  for  Foreign 
Affairs,  one  can  hardly  conceive  how  Napoleon  came  to 
select  him." 

The  Minister  joined  us  at  the  tea-table  about  10 
o'clock,  and  referred  again  to  the  bombardment.  He 
said  :  "  I  did  not  from  the  very  beginning  wish  to  have 
Paris  invested.  If  what  the  general  staff  said  at 
Ferrieres  were  correct,  namely,  that  they  could  dispose 
of  a  couple  of  the  forts  in  three  days,  and  then  attack 
the  weak  enceinte,  it  would  have  been  all  right.     But  it 


344     THE  CRO  WN  PRINCE'S  ENGLISH  LE TTERS  [Dec.  i ,  1 870 

was  a  mistake  to  let  60,000  regulars  keep  an  army  of 
200,000  men  engaged  in  watching  them."  "  One 
month  up  to  Sedan,  and  here  we  have  already  spent 
three  months,  for  to-morrow  is  the  1st  of  December. 
If  we  had  telegraphed  immediately  after  Sedan  for  siege 
guns  we  should  be  now  in  the  city,  and  there  would  be 
no  intervention  on  the  part  of  the  neutral  Powers.  If 
I  had  known  that  three  months  ago  I  should  have  been 
extremely  anxious.  The  danger  of  intervention  on  the 
part  of  the  neutral  Powers  increases  daily.  It  begins  in 
a  friendly  way,  but  it  may  end  very  badly."  Keudell 
remarked :  "  The  idea  of  not  bombarding  first  arose 
here."  "  Yes,"  replied  the  Chief,  "  through  the  English 
letters  to  the  Crown  Prince." 

Thursday,  December  1st. — AVe  were  joined  at  dinner 
by  a  first  lieutenant.  Von  Saldern,  who  took  part  in 
the  last  engagement  between  the  lOtli  Army  Corps  and 
the  Loire  army.  According  to  him  that  corps  was  for  a 
considerable  time  surrounded  by  the  superior  French 
force  at  Beaune  la  Kolande,  the  enemy  endeavouring  to 
force  their  way  through  one  of  our  wings  towards 
Fontainebleau.  Our  soldiers  defended  themselves  with 
the  greatest  gallantry  and  determination  for  seven 
hours,  Wedel's  troops  and  the  men  of  the  16th  regiment 
specially  distinguishing  themselves.  "  We  made  over 
1600  prisoners,"  said  Saldern,  "  and  the  total  loss  of 
the  French  is  estimated  at  four  to  five  thousand."  "  I 
should  have  been  better  pleased,"  said  the  Chief,  "  if 
they  had  all  been  corpses.  It  is  simply  a  disadvantage 
to  us  now  to  make  prisoners." 

The  Chief  afterwards  gave  Abeken  instructions  re- 
specting communications  to  be  made  to  the  King.  The 
Chancellor  looked  through  a  number  of  despatches  and 
reports  with  him.     Pointing  to  one  document  he  said  : 


Dec.  1, 1870]       THE  BLACK  SEA  CONFERENCE  345 

"  Do  not  give  him  that  without  an  explanation.  Tell 
him  how  the  matter  arose,  otherwise  he  will  misunder- 
stand it.  That  long  despatch  from  Bernstorff — well, 
you  can  show  him  that  also.  But  the  newspaper  article 
enclosed — the  gentlemen  of  the  Embassy  take  things 
very  easy — I  have  already  said  frequently  that  such 
articles  must  be  translated,  or,  better  still,  that  they 
should  be  accompanied  by  a  'precis.  And  tell  his 
Majesty  also,"  said  the  Minister  in  conclusion,  "  that, 
properly  speaking,  we  ought  not  to  allow  the  Frenchman 
to  join  the  Conference  in  London  "  (the  approaching  Con- 
ference on  the  revision  of  the  Paris  Treaty  of  1856),  "  as 
he  would  represent  a  Government  which  is  not 
recognised  by  the  Powers,  and  which  will  have  no  legal 
existence  for  a  long  time  to  come.  We  can  do  it  to 
please  Eussia  in  this  question.  At  any  rate,  if  he  begins 
to  speak  of  other  matters  he  must  at  once  be  sent  about 
his  business." 

The  Chief  then  related  the  following  incident :  "  To- 
day, after  calling  upon  Roon,  I  made  a  round  which 
may  prove  to  have  been  useful.  I  inspected  Marie 
Antoinette's  apartment  in  the  palace,  and  then  I  thought 
I  would  see  how  the  wounded  were  getting  on.  The 
servant  who  acted  as  my  guide  had  a  pass-key,  so  I 
decided  not  to  go  in  by  the  main  entrance,  but  by  the 
back  way.  I  asked  one  of  the  hospital  attendants  what 
food  the  people  had.  Not  very  much.  A  little  soup, 
which  was  supposed  to  be  bouillon,  with  broken  bread 
and  some  g-rains  of  rice,  which  were  not  even  boiled  soft. 
There  was  hardly  any  meat  fat  in  it.  '  And  how  about 
wine  ?  and  do  they  get  any  beer  ? '  I  asked.  They  got 
about  half  a  glass  of  wine  during  the  day,  he  said.  I 
inquired  of  another,  who  had  had  none,  and  then  of  a 
third  who  had  had  some  three  days  ago  and  none  since 


346  BISMARCK  VISITS  THE  HOSPITALS  [Dec.  i,  1870 


then.  I  then  went  on  to  question  several  of  the  men,  in 
all  about  a  dozen,  down  to  the  Poles,  who  could  not 
understand  me,  but  showed  their  pleasure  at  somebody 
taking  an  interest  in  them  by  smiling.  So  that  our 
poor  wounded  soldiers  do  not  get  what  they  ought  to, 
and  suffer  from  cold  besides,  because  the  rooms  must  not 
be  warmed  for  fear  of  injuring  the  pictures.  As  if  the 
life  of  one  of  our  soldiers  was  not  worth  more  than  all 
the  trashy  pictures  in  the  palace  !  The  servant  told  me 
also  that  the  oil  lamps  only  remained  alight  until  11 
o'clock,  and  that  after  that  the  men  have  to  lie  in  the 
dark  until  morning.  I  had  previously  spoken  to  a  non- 
commissioned officer,  who  was  wounded  in  the  foot.  He 
said  he  did  not  want  to  complain,  although  things  could 
be  much  better.  Some  consideration  was  paid  to  him, 
but  as  to  the  others  !  A  member  of  the  Bavarian  Am- 
bulance Corps  now  plucked  up  courage,  and  said  that 
wine  and  beer  had  been  provided,  but  that  half  of  it  had 
probably  been  intercepted  somewhere ;  it  was  the  same 
with  hot  food  and  other  presents.  I  then  made  my  way 
to  the  chief  surgeon.  '  How  about  provisions  for  the 
wounded  ? '  I  asked.  '  Do  they  get  enough  to  eat  ? ' 
'  Here  is  the  bill  of  fare,'  he  replied.  '  That  is  no  good 
to  me,'  I  said  ;  '  the  people  cannot  eat  paper.  Do  they 
get  wine  ? '  '  Half  a  litre  daily.'  '  Excuse  me,  but  that 
is  not  true.  I  have  questioned  the  men,  and  I  cannot 
believe  they  were  lying  when  they  told  me  that  they 
had  not  received  any.'  '  I  call  God  to  witness  that 
everything  here  is  done  properly  and  according  to 
instructions.  Please  come  with  me  and  I  will  question 
the  men  in  your  presence,'  '  I  will  do  nothing  of  the 
kind,'  I  answered  ;  '  but  measures  shall  be  taken  to  have 
them  questioned  by  the  auditor  as  to  whether  they  have 
received    what    has    been    ordered    for    them    by   the 


Dec.  I,  1870]   THE  PRESS  AND  THE  RA  VARIAN  TREA  TY    347 


iDspector.'  He  turned  deadly  pale — I  see  him  now — 
an  old  wound  showed  up  on  his  face.  '  That  would  be  a 
great  reHectiou  upon  me,'  he  said.  '  Certainly,'  I 
replied,  '  and  it  ought  to  be.  I  shall  take  care  that  the 
affair  is  inquired  into — and  speedily.'  "  -^  .  .  .  "  What  I 
should  like  best  would  be  to  induce  the  King  to  visit 
the  wounded  with  me."  He  afterwards  added  :  "  AVe 
have  two  classes  in  particular  amongst  whom  frauds 
occur :  the  weavils  that  have  to  do  with  the  com- 
missariat and  the  officials  in  the  public  works  depart- 
ment, especially  in  the  water  works.  Then  the  doctors. 
I  remember  not  long  ago — it  must  be  about  a  year  and  a 
half  ago — there  was  a  great  inquiry  into  frauds  con- 
nected with  the  passing  of  recruits  for  the  army,  in  which, 
to  my  amazement,  some  thirty  doctors  were  involved." 

About  10.30  P.M.  the  Chief  joined  us  at  tea. 
After  a  while  he  remarked  :  "  The  newspapers  are  dis- 
satisfied with  the  Bavarian  Treaty.  I  expected  as 
much  from  the  beginning.  They  are  displeased  that 
certain  officials  arc  called  Bavarian,  although  they  will 
have  to  conform  entirely  to  our  laws.  And  the  same 
with  regard  to  the  army.  The  beer  tax  is  also  not  to 
their  liking,  as  if  we  had  not  had  it  for  years  past  in 
the  Zollverein.  And  so  on  with  a  crowd  of  other 
objections,  although  after  all  the  important  point  has 
been  attained  and  properly  secured."  ..."  They  talk  as  if 
we  had  been  wageing  war  against  Bavaria  as  we  did 
in  1866  against  Saxony,  although  this  time  we  have 
Bavaria  as  an  ally  on  our  side." ..."  Before  approving 
the  treaty   they  want    to    wait    and    see  whether    the 

1  These  suspicions,  though  fully  justified  by  appearances,  were  sub- 
sequently shown  to  be  for  the  greater  part  unfounded,  except  that  there 
was  inadequate  provision  for  the  requirements  of  the  wounded,  I 
reproduce  the  episode  as  evidence  of  the  Minister's  usual  humane  feeling 
and  love  of  justice. 


348    A  BA  TTALION  SURPRISED  A  T  CHA  TILLON   [Dec.  i,  1870 


unity  of  Germany  will  be  secured  in  the  form  they 
prefer.  They  can  wait  a  long  time  for  that.  The 
course  they  are  taking  leads  only  to  fresh  delays,  while 
speedy  action  is  necessary.  If  we  hesitate  the  devil 
will  find  time  to  sow  dissensions.  The  treaty  gives  us 
a  great  deal.  Whoever  wants  to  have  everything  runs 
the  risk  of  getting  nothing.  They  are  not  content  with 
what  has  been  achieved.  They  require  more  uniformity. 
If  they  would  only  remember  the  position  of  affairs 
five  years  ago,  and  what  they  would  then  have  been  satis- 
fied with  !  "...  "A  Constituent  Assembly  !  But  what 
if  the  King  of  Bavaria  should  not  permit  representatives 
to  be  elected  to  it  ?  The  Bavarian  people  would  not 
compel  him,  nor  would  I.  It  is  easy  to  find  fault  when 
one  has  no  proper  idea  of  the  conditions  which  govern 
the  situation." 

The  Minister  then  came  to  speak  on  another  subject: 
"  I  have  just  read  a  report  on  the  surprise  of  the  Unna 
battalion.  Some  of  the  inhabitants  of  Chatillon  took 
part  in  it — others,  it  is  true,  hid  our  people.  It  is  a 
wonder  that  they  did  not  burn  down  the  town  in  their 
first  outburst  of  anger.  Afterwards,  of  course,  in  cold 
blood  that  would  not  do." 

After  a  short  pause,  the  Chief  took  some  coins  out  of 
his  pocket  and  played  with  them  for  a  moment,  remarking 
at  the  same  time  :  "  It  is  surprising  how  many  re- 
spectably dressed  beggars  one  meets  with  here.  There 
were  some  at  Rheims,  but  it  is  much  worse  here." . .  . 
"  How  seldom  one  now  sees  a  gold  piece  with  the  head  of 
Louis  Philippe  or  Charles  X.  !  When  I  was  young,  be- 
tween twenty  and  thirty,  coins  of  Louis  XVI.  and  of  the 
fat  Louis  XVIII.  were  still  to  be  seen.  Even  the  ex- 
pression '  louis  d'or  '  is  no  longer  usual  with  us.  In  polite 
circles  one  speaks  of  a  friedrich  d'or."      The  Chancellor 


Dec.  I   1870]    WEIGHING  UP  THE  WAR  INDEMNITY  349 

then  balanced  a  napoleon  on  the  tip  of  his  middle  finger, 
as  if  he  were  weighing  it,  and  continued  :  "  A  hundred 
million  double  napoleons  d'or  would  represent  about  the 
amount  of  the  war  indemnity  up  to  the  present — later 
on  it  will  be  more,  four  thousand  million  francs.     Forty 
thousand     thalers    in   gold    would   make    a    hundred- 
weight, thirty  hundredweight  would  make  a  load  for  a 
heavy  two-horse  waggon — (I  know  that  because  I  once 
had  to  convey  fourteen  thousand  thalers  in  gold  from 
Berlin  to  my  own  house.     What  a  weight  it  was  !) — 
that  would  be  about  800  waggon  loads."      "  It  would 
not  take  so  long  to  collect  the  carts  for  that  purpose  as 
it    does    for   the    ammunition    for   the   bombardment," 
observed  some  one,  who,  like  most   of  us,    was  losing 
patience    at    the   slow    progress   of    the   preparations. 
"  Yes,"  said  the  Chief ;  "  Roon,  however,  told  me   the 
other  day,  he  had  several  hundred  carts  at  Nanteuil, 
which  could  be  used  for  the  transport  of  ammunition. 
Moreover  some  of  the  waggons  that  are  now  drawn  by 
six  horses  could  do  with  four  for  a  time,  and  the  two  spare 
horses  thus  could  be  used  for  bringing  up  ammunition. 
We  have  already  318  guns  here,  but  they  want  forty 
more,  and  Roon  says  he  could  have  them  also  brought 
up.     The  others  however  won't  hear  of  it." 

Hatzfeldt  afterwards  said  :  "  It  is  only  six  or  seven 
weeks  since  they  altered  their  minds.  At  Ferrieres, 
while  we  were  still  on  good  terms  with  them,  Bronsart 
and  Verdy  said  we  could  level  the  forts  of  Issy  and 
Vanvres  to  the  ground  in  thirty- six  hours,  and  then 
attack  Paris  itself.  Later  on  it  was  suddenly  found  to 
be  impossible."  "  Because  of  the  letters  received  from 
London,"  exclaimed  Bismarck-Bohlen.  I  asked  what 
Moltke  thought  of  the  matter.  "  He  does  not  trouble 
himself  about   it ! "   answered  Hatzfeldt.     But  Bucher 


350    THE  "  ORIENTAL  "  COL ONY A  T  VERSAILLES  [Dec.  2, 1 870 

declared  that  Moltkc  wanted  the  bombardment  to  take 
place. 

Friday,  December  2nd. — I  see  Neiuinger  in  the 
morning  and  learn  that  he  succeeded  in  obtaining 
an  audience  from  the  Chief  by  playing  the  informer. 
He  hinted  to  a  Dr.  Schuster  of  Geneva  that  "  there 
might  possibly  be  collusion  between  the  foreign  settle- 
ment collected  round  head-quarters,  and  the  i^ersonnel 
of  the  Government  of  National  Defence,"  and  also  that 
there  were  "fresh  symptoms  of  intimate  relations  being 
maintained  across  the  German  investing  lines  with  the 
Oriental  colony  at  Versailles."  Schuster  managed  to  con- 
vey these  hints  to  the  Minister.  The  "  Oriental  colony," 
however,  (a  title  which  is  intended  to  apply  chiefly  to 
Lowensohn,  and  after  him  to  Bamberg)  appears  to  be 
innocent,  and  the  intrigue  to  have  been  contrived  merely 
for  the  purpose  of  providing  a  better  position  for 
Neininger  on  the  Moniteur  by  securing  the  dismissal  of 
the  other  two  journalists. 

Subsequently  wrote  some  letters  and  articles  again 
setting  forth  the  Chiefs  views  in  the  matter  of  the 
Bavarian  Treaty,  and  translated  for  the  King  the  leading 
article  in  Tlie  Times  on  Gortschakoff's  reply  to  Granville's 
despatch. 

Alten,  Lehndorff  and  a  dragoon  officer  Herr  von 
Thadden,  were  the  Chiefs  guests  at  dinner. 

The  Chief  said  that  he  had  taken  measures  for  pro- 
viding our  sentries  with  more  comfortable  quarters. 
"  Up  to  the  present  they  occupied  Madame  Jesse's  coach- 
house, which  has  no  fireplace.  That  would  not  do  any 
longer,  so  I  ordered  the  gardener  to  clear  out  half  of  the 
greenhouse  for  them.  '  But  Madame's  plants  will  be 
frozen,'  said  the  gardener's  wife.  '  A  great  pity,'  said  I. 
'  I  suppose  it  would  be  better  if  the  soldiers  froze.' " 


Dec.  2, 1870]   ANXIETY  ABOUT  THE  BA  VARIAN  TREA  TV   35 1 

The  Chief  then  referred  to  the  danger  of  the 
Reichstag  rejecting,  or  even  merely  amending,  the 
treaty  with  Bavaria,  "  I  am  very  anxious  about  it. 
People  have  no  idea  what  the  position  is.  We  are 
balancing  ourselves  on  the  point  of  a  lightning  con- 
ductor. If  we  lose  the  equilibrium,  which  at  much 
pains  I  have  succeeded  in  establishing,  we  fall  to  the 
ground.  They  want  more  than  can  be  obtained  without 
coercion,  and  more  than  they  would  have  been  very 
pleased  to  accept  before  1866.  If  at  that  time  they 
had  got  but  half  what  they  are  getting  to-day  !  No  ; 
they  must  needs  improve  upon  it  and  introduce  more 
unity,  more  uniformity ;  but  if  they  change  so  much  as 
a  comma,  fresh  negotiations  must  be  undertaken.  Where 
are  they  to  take  place  ?  Here  in  Versailles  ?  And  if 
we  cannot  bring  them  to  a  close  before  the  1st  of 
January — which  many  of  the  people  in  Munich  would 
be  glad  of — then  German  unity  is  lost,  probably  for 
years,  and  the  Austrians  can  set  to  work  again  in 
Munich." 

Mushrooms  dressed  in  two  ways  were  the  first  dish 
after  the  soup.  "  These  must  be  eaten  in  a  thoughtful 
spirit,"  said  the  Chief,  "  as  they  are  a  present  from  some 
soldiers  who  found  them  growing  in  a  quarry  or  a  cellar. 
The  cook  has  made  an  excellent  sauce  for  them.  A  still 
more  welcome  gift,  and  certainly  a  rare  one,  was  made 
to  me  the  other  day  by  the — what  a  shame !  I  have 
quite  forgotten.  What  regiment  was  it  sent  me  the 
roses  ? "  "  The  46th,"  replied  Bohlen.  "  Yes ;  it  was  a 
bouquet  of  roses  plucked  under  fire,  probably  in  a  garden 
near  the  outposts."  "  By  the  way,  that  reminds  me 
that  I  met  a  Polish  soldier  in  the  hospital  who  cannot 
read  Glerman.  He  would  very  much  like  to  have  a 
Polish   prayer  book.      Does  anybody  happen  to  have 


352  PRINCE   WITTGENSTEIN  [Dec.  2,  1870 

something  of  that  kind  ?  "  Alten  said  no,  but  he  could 
give  him  some  Polish  newspapers.  The  Chief  :  "  That 
won't  do.  He  would  not  understand  them,  and  besides 
they  stir  up  the  people  against  us.  But  perhaps 
Eadziwill  has  something.  A  Polish  novel  would  do — 
Pan  Tivardoivshi  or  something  of  that  kind."  Alten 
promised  to  see  if  he  could  get  anything. 

Mention  was  made  of  Ducrot,  who  in  all  likelihood 
commanded  the  French  forces  engaged  in  to-day's  sortie, 
and  it  was  suggested  he  had  good  reason  not  to  allow 
himself  to  be  made  prisoner.  "  Certainly,"  said  the 
Minister.  "  He  will  either  get  himself  killed  in  action  ; 
or  if  he  has  not  courage  enough  for  that,  which  I  am 
rather  inclined  to  believe,  he  will  make  off  in  a 
balloon." 

Some  one  said  Prince  Wittgenstein  (if  I  am  not  mis- 
taken, a  Russian  aide-de-camp)  would  also  be  glad  to 
leave  Paris. 

Alten  added  :  "  Yes,  in  order  that  he  might  go  in 
again.     I  fancy  it  is  a  kind  of  sport  for  him." 

The  Chief :  "  That  might  be  all  very  well  for  a  person 
who  inspired  confidence.  But  I  never  trusted  him,  and 
when  he  wished  to  return  to  Paris  recently,  neither  T 
nor  the  general  staff  wanted  to  let  him  through.  He 
succeeded  in  obtaining  permission  surreptitiously  through 
the  good  nature  of  the  King.  Never  mind.  Possibly 
things  may  yet  be  discovered  about  him  that  will  ruin 
him  in  St.  Petersburg." 

The  subject  of  Stock  Exchange  speculation  was  again 
introduced,  and  the  Chief  once  more  denied  the  pos- 
sibility of  turning  to  much  account  the  always  very 
limited  knowledge  which  one  may  have  of  political 
events  beforehand.  Such  events  only  affect  the  Bourse 
afterwards,  and   the  day  when   that  is  going  to  happen 


Dec.2,  i87o]      STOCK  EXCHANGE  SPECULATION  353 

cannot  be  foreseen.  "  Of  course,  if  one  could  contrive 
things  so  as  to  produce  a  fall — but  that  is  dishonour- 
able !  Grammont  has  done  so,  according  to  what  Russell 
recently  stated.  He  doubled  his  fortune  in  that  way. 
One  might  almost  say  that  he  brought  about  the  war 
with  that  object.  Moustier  also  carried  on  that  sort  of 
business — not  for  himself,  but  with  the  fortune  of  his 
mistress — and  when  it  was  on  the  point  of  being  dis- 
covered, he  poisoned  himself.  One  might  take  advantage 
of  one's  position  in  a  rather  less  dishonest  way  by 
arranging  to  have  the  Bourse  quotations  from  all  the 
Stock  Exchanges  sent  off  with  the  political  despatches 
by  obliging  officials  abroad.  The  political  despatches 
take  precedence  of  the  Bourse  telegrams,  so  that  one 
would  gain  from  twenty  minutes  to  half  an  hour.  One 
would  then  want  a  quick-footed  Jew  to  secure  this 
advantage.  I  know  people  who  have  done  it.  In  that 
way  one  might  earn  fifteen  hundred  to  fifteen  thousand 
thalers  daily,  and  in  a  few  years  that  makes  a  handsome 
fortune.  But,  all  the  same,  it  remains  ugly ;  and  my 
son  shall  not  say  of  me  that  that  was  how  I  made  him  a 
rich  man.  He  can  become  rich  in  some  other  way — 
through  speculation  with  his  own  property,  through  the 
sale  of  timber,  by  marriage,  or  something  of  the  kind." 
I  was  much  better  off  before  I  was  made  Chancellor 
than  I  am  now.  My  grants  have  ruined  me.  My  aff'airs 
have  been  embarrassed  ever  since.  Previously  I  regarded 
myself  as  a  simple  country  gentleman  ;  now  that  I,  to 
a  certain  extent,  belong  to  the  peerage,  my  require- 
ments are  increasing  and  my  estates  bring  me  in 
nothing.  As  Minister  at  Frankfurt  I  always  had  a 
balance  to  my  credit,  and  also  in  St.  Petersburg,  where 
I  was  not  obliged  to  entertain,  and  did  not." 

In  the  afternoon  Friedlander  called  upon  me  with 

VOL.   I  A    A 


354  LUXEMBURG  NEUTRALITY  [Dec.  2,  1870 

an  invitation,  which  I  was  obliged  to  decline.  Our  fat 
friend  knew  exactly  why  the  bombardment  did  not  take 
place.  "  Blumenthal  will  not  agree  to  it  because  the 
Crown  Prince  does  not  want  it,"  he  said  ;  "  and  behind 
him  are  the  two  Victorias."  So  an  Artillery  officer  told 
him  a  few  days  ago. 

Addendum. — According  to  a  pencil  note  which  I 
have  now  laid  hands  on,  Bohlen  remarked  yesterday  at 
dinner  that  he  understood  many  valuable  pictures  and 
manuscripts  removed  by  the  French  from  Germany 
had  not  been  returned.  Some  one  else  observed  that  it 
would  be  difficult  to  put  this  right  now\  "  Well,"  said 
the  Chief,  "  we  could  take  others  of  equal  value  in  their 
stead.  We  could,  for  instance,  pack  up  the  best  of  the 
pictures  out  of  the  Gallery  here."  "  Yes,  and  sell  them 
to  the  Americans,"  added  Bohlen  ;  ''  they  would  give  us 
a  good  price  for  them." 

According  to  another  note  the  Chancellor  related 
(doubtless  on  the  occasion  when  Holnstein  dined  with 
us) :  "  In  Crehanges  the  Augustenburger  again  tricked 
me  into  shaking  hands  with  him.  A  Bavarian  Colonel 
or  General  came  over  to  me  and  held  out  his  hand, 
which  I  took.  I  could  not  put  a  name  to  the  face,  and 
when  I  had,  it  was  too  late.  If  I  could  only  come  across 
him  again,  I  would  say  to  him,  '  You  treacherously  pur- 
loined a  hand  from  me  at  Crehanges  ;  will  you  please 
restore  it  ? '  " 

I  afterwards  wrote  an  article  on  the  neutrality  of 
Luxemburg,  and  the  perfidious  way  in  which  people 
there  are  taking  advantage  of  it  to  help  the  French  in 
every  sort  of  way.  It  ran  as  follows  : — We  declared  at 
the  commencement  of  the  war  that  we  would  respect 
the  neutrality  of  the  Grand  Duchy,  the  neutrality  of 
its    government   and    people    being   thereby   assumed. 


Dec.  4,  1870]    "  IVE  SHALL  SPEND  CHRISTMAS  HERE''     355 


That  condition,  however,  has  not  been  fulfilled,  the 
Liixemburgers  having  been  guilty  of  flagrant  breaches 
of  neutrality,  although  we  on  our  part  have  kept  our 
promise  in  spite  of  the  inconvenience  to  which  we  have 
often  been  put,  especially  in  connection  with  the  trans- 
port of  our  wounded.  We  have  already  had  occasion 
to  complain  of  the  fortress  of  Thionville  having  been 
provisioned  by  trains  despatched  at  night  with  the 
assistance  of  the  railway  officials  and  police  authorities 
of  the  Grand  Duchy.  After  the  capitulation  of  Metz 
numbers  of  French  soldiers  passed  through  Luxemburg 
with  the  object  of  returning  to  France  and  rejoining 
the  French  army.  The  French  Vice-Consul  opened  a 
regular  office  at  the  Luxemburg  railway  station,  where 
soldiers  were  provided  with  money  and  passports  for 
their  journey.  The  Grand  Ducal  Government  permitted 
all  this  to  go  on  without  making  any  attempt  to  pre- 
vent it.  They  cannot,  therefore,  complain  if  in  future 
military  operations  we  pay  no  regard  to  the  neutrality 
of  the  country,  or  if  we  demand  compensation  for  the 
injury  done  by  breaches  of  neutrality  due  to  such 
culpable  negligence. 

Sunday,  December  ith. — We  were  joined  at  dinner 
by  Roggenbach,  a  former  Baden  Minister,  and  von 
Niethammer,  a  member  of  the  Bavarian  Ambulance 
Corps,  whose  acquaintance  the  Chief  made  recently  in 
the  hospital. 

The  Chief  spoke  at  first  of  having  again  visited  the 
wounded,  and  afterwards  added  : — "  Leaving  Frankfurt 
and  St.  Petersburg  out  of  account,  I  have  now  been 
longer  here  than  in  any  other  foreign  town  during  my 
whole  life.  We  shall  spend  Christmas  here,  which  we 
had  not  expected  to  do,  and  we  may  remain  at  Versailles 
till  Easter  and  see  the  trees  grow  green  again,  whilst 

A  A  2 


356  PEACE  B  V  STAR  VA  TION  [Dec.  4,  1870 

we  wait  for  news  of  the  Loire  army.  Had  we  only 
known  we  might  have  planted  asparagus  in  the  garden 
here." 

The  Minister  afterwards  said,  addressing  Eoggen- 
bach  : — "  I  have  just  looked  through  the  newspaper 
extracts.  How  they  do  abuse  the  treaties  !  They 
simply  tear  them  into  shreds.  The  National  Zeitung, 
the  Kolnische, — the  Weser  Zeitung  is  still  the  most 
reasonable,  as  it  always  is.  Of  course  one  must  put 
up  with  criticism ;  but  then  one  is  responsible  if  the 
negotiations  come  to  nothing,  while  the  critics  have 
no  responsibility.  I  am  indifferent  as  to  their  censure 
so  long  as  the  thing  gets  through  the  Reichstag. 
History  may  say  that  the  wretched  Chancellor  ought 
to  have  done  better ;  but  I  was  responsible.  If  the 
Reichstag  introduces  amendments  every  German  Diet 
can  do  the  same,  and  then  the  thing  will  drag  on  and 
we  shall  not  be  able  to  secure  the  peace  we  desire  and 
need.  We  cannot  demand  the  cession  of  Alsace  if  no 
political  entity  is  created,  if  there  is  no  Germany  to 
cede  it  to." 

The  question  of  the  peace  negotiations  to  follow 
in  the  approaching  capitulation  of  Paris  was  then 
discussed,  and  the  difficulties  which  might  arise.  The 
Chief  said  : — "  Favre  and  Trochu  may  say,  '  We  are  not 
the  Government.'  We  were  part  of  it  at  one  time,  but 
now  that  we  have  surrendered  we  are  private  persons. 
I  am  nothing  more  than  Citizen  Trochu.  But  at  that 
point  I  should  try  a  little  coercion  on  the  Parisians.  I 
should  say  to  them :  '  I  hold  you,  two  million  people, 
responsible  in  your  own  persons.  I  shall  let  you  starve 
for  twenty-four  hours  unless  you  agree  to  our  demands.' 
Yes,  and  yet  another  four-and-twenty  hours,  come  what 
might  of  it. 


Dec.  4,  1 870]        MA  UDLIN  SENTIMENTALIT  V  357 

"I  would  stick  to  my  point — but  the  King, the  Crown 
Prince,  the  women  who  force  their  sentimental  views 
upon  them,  and  certain  secret  European  connections — I 
can  deal  with  those  in  front  of  me — but  those  who  stand 
behind  me,  behind  my  back,  or  rather  who  weigh  upon 
me   so  that  I  cannot  breathe  ! — people  for  whom  the 
German  cause  and  German  victories  are  not  the  main 
question ;    but,  rather,  their    anxiety  to  be  praised  in 
English  newspapers.     Ah,  if  one  were  but  the  Land- 
grave ! — I  could  trust  myself  to  be  hard  enough.     But, 
unfortunately,   one  is  not  the  Landgrave.^     Quite  re- 
cently, in   their  maudlin   solicitude  for  the  Parisians, 
they  have  again  brought  forward  a  thoroughly  foolish 
scheme.     Great  stores  of  provisions  from  London  and 
Belgium  are  to  be  collected   for  the  Parisians.      The 
storehouses  are  to  be  within  our  lines,  and  our  soldiers 
are  merely  to  look  at  them,  but  not  to  touch  them,  how- 
ever much  they  may  themselves   suffer  from  scarcity 
and  hunger.     These  supplies  are  to  prevent  the  Parisians 
starving  when  they  shall  have  capitulated.     We,  in  this 
house,  it  is  true,  have  enough,  but  the  troops  are  on 
short  commons ;  yet  they  must  suffer  in  order  that  the 
Parisians,  when    they   learn   that   supplies  have  been 
collected  for  them,  may  postpone  their  capitulation  till 
they  have  eaten  their  last  loaf  and  slaughtered  their 
last   horse.     I    shall   not   be    consulted,    otherwise    I'd 
rather  be  hanged  than  consent  to  it.     But  I  am,  never- 
theless, responsible.     I  was  imprudent  enough  to  call 
attention  to  the  famine  that  must  ensue.     It  is  true  I 
mentioned   it   merely  to   the    diplomatists.     But  they 
have   thus  become    aware    of  the   fact.     Otherwise   it 
would  not  have  occurred  to  them." 


1  A  reference  to  the  popular  Thuringian  ballad  of  "The  Landgrave  and 
the  Smith," 


358  THE  GORTSCHAKOFF  NOTE  [Dec.  4,  1870 

Swiss  cheese  having  been  handed  round,  some  one 
raised  the  question  whether  cheese  and  wine  went  well 
together.  "  Some  descriptions  with  certain  wines,"  was 
the  Minister's  decision.  "  Not  strong  ones  like  Gorgon- 
zola  and  Dutch  cheese,  but  others  are  all  right.  I 
remember  that  at  the  time  when  people  drank  hard  in 
Pomerania — two  hundred  years  ago  or  more — the  good 
folks  of  Rammin  were  the  greatest  topers  in  the  country. 
One  of  them  happened  to  get  a  supply  of  wine  from 
Stettin,  which  was  not  quite  to  his  liking.  He  com- 
plained accordingly  to  the  merchant,  who  replied : 
^Eet  kees  to  Wien,  Herr  von  Rammin,  denn  smecJct  de 
Wienwie  in  Stettin  00k  to  Rammin.'  (Low  German  : 
"  Eat  cheese  to  your  wine,  good  sir,  from  Rammin,  then 
the  wine  will  taste  as  good  in  Rammin  as  it  does  here 
in  Stettin.") 

Abeken,  who  had  been  with  the  King,  came  in  after- 
wards, and  reported  that  his  Majesty  considered  it 
would  be  well  to  write  again  to  the  Emperor  of  Russia, 
and  give  him  the  views  held  here  respecting  the  Gorts- 
chakoff  Note.  The  Chief  said  :  "  I  think  not.  Enough 
has  been  already  written  and  telegraphed  on  the  subject. 
They  know  in  St.  Petersburg  what  we  think.  At  least 
we  must  not  write  discourteously,  but  rather  in  a 
friendly  and  amiable  spirit :  It  is  better  however  to  say 
nothing.  If  it  were  England  !  But  we  shall  still  want 
Russia's  good  will  in  the  immediate  future.  When  that 
is  no  longer  necessary,  we  can  afford  to  be  rude." 

Bohlen  said :  "  They  are  cjuite  beside  themselves  in 
Berlin.  They  will  have  tremendous  rejoicings  there 
to-morrow,  about  the  Emperor.  They  are  going  to 
illuminate  the  town,  and  are  making  immense  prepara- 
tions— a  regular  scene  from  fairyland  !  "  "I  fancy  that 
will  have  a  good  effect  on  the  Reichstag,"  observed  the 


Dec.  4,  1870]    A  LETTER  TO  THE  KING  OF  BAVARIA         359 

Chief.  "  It  was  really  very  nice  of  Roggenbacli  to  start 
off  at  once  for  Berlin"  (in  order  to  urge  moderation 
upon  the  grumblers  in  the  Reichstag).  "  They  "  (the 
members  of  Parliament,  or  the  Berliners?)  "attach 
much  more  importance  to  the  title  of  Emperor  than  the 
the  thing  really  deserves — although  I  do  not  mean  to 
say  it  is  of  no  value." 

"  That  was  really  funny,"  said  Bohlen,  "  what 
Holnstein  told  us  about  his  interview  with  the  King  of 
Bavaria  while  he  had  a  toothache  !  " 

"  And  the  way  I  wrote  to  him  in  order  to 
bring  him  round,"  added  the  Chancellor.  "  I  knew 
that  he  could  not  bear  me,  and  did  not  trust  me. 
So  I  wrote  to  him  at  last,  that  one  of  our  estates 
had  been  granted  to  our  family  by  Ludwig,  the 
Bavarian,  as  Lord  of  Brandenburg,  and  that  conse- 
quently we  had  had  relations  with  his  house  for  more 
than  five  centuries.  That  was  true,  in  so  far  as  the 
estates  which  we  now  hold  were  given  to  us  in  exchange 
for  those  which  the  Hohenzollerns  extorted  from  us. 
Holnstein  said  the  letter  must  have  pleased  the  King- 
very  much,  as  he  asked  to  read  it  again.  "  It  was 
Holnstein  who  did  most  in  this  matter.  He  played  his 
part  very  cleverly.  Tell  me  (to  Bohlen),  what  Order 
can  we  give  him  ?  " 

Bohlen:  "He  got  the  first  class  of  the  red  fowl 
(the  Red  Eagle),  when  the  Crown  Prince  was  in  Munich." 

"  Well  then,"  said  the  Chief,  "  he  has  got  the 
highest  decoration  that  can  be  given  to  him." 

Bohlen  :  "  Well,  the  King  might  give  him  the 
Imperial  German  Order,  about  which  Stillfried  is  already 
meditating,  or  he  can  found  a  new  Prussian  Order,  and; 
thus  supply  a  long-felt  want." 

The  Chief  :  "  The  Green  Lion," 


36o  THE  KING  AS  EMPEROR  [Dec.  5, 1870 


Bolilen :  "  The  German  Order,  with  a  black,  white, 
and  red  ribbon." 

The  Chief :  "Or  with  the  colours  of  the  German 
Knights,  a  white  ribbon  with  small  black  stripes.  It 
looks  very  well.  The  King  did  not  rightly  know  what 
it  was  all  about  when  Holnstein  requested  an  audience. 
He  said  to  me,  '  I  observed  to  Holnstein,  that  I  sup- 
posed he  wished  to  see  Versailles.'  Of  course,  he  (King 
William)  could  not  have  arranged  that  himself" — {i.e., 
he  could  not  have  arranged  to  acquire  the  Imperial 
dignity  through  the  good  offices  of  Bavaria.) 

Werther,  our  Minister  at  Munich,  seems  to  have 
reported  that  it  was  intended  there  to  commission 
Prince  Luitpold  with  the  proclamation  of  the  Emperor. 
The  Chancellor  observed  :  "  A  singular  idea  !  Another 
example  of  the  way  in  which  Bray  treats  matters  of 
business.  How  is  he  to  do  it  ?  Step  on  to  a  balcony, 
and  proclaim  it  ! — to  whom  ?  That  might  do  if  all  the 
Princes  were  here — but  with  the  three  or  four  now 
present !  1  had  hoped  that  we  should  have  made  peace 
before  German  unity  was  secured." 

Bohlen  :  "  How  pleased  the  King  will  feel  at  being 
made  Emperor  !  and  still  more  so,  the  Crown  Prince  !  " 

The  Chief  :  "  Yes,  and  no  doubt  he  is  already  think- 
ing about  the  cut  of  the  Imperial  robes." 

Monday,  December  5th. — The  Chief  sent  for  me,  and 
gave  me  his  instructions  for  a  dementi  with  regard  to 
the  Bavarian  Treaty,  in  which  his  ideas  were  to  be 
somewhat  differently  expressed.  It  was  to  the  following 
effect.  The  rumour  that  the  Chancellor  of  the  Con- 
federation only  concluded  the  treaties  with  the  South 
German  States,  in  anticipation  that  they  would  be 
rejected,  or  at  least  amended  in  the  Reichstag,  is 
entirely  without  foundation.     The  debate  on  the  treaties 


Dec.5,  iSyo]  THE  GERMAN  TREATIES  361 

must  be  brought  to  a  close  during  the  month  of  Decem- 
ber, and  they  must  be  adopted  in  their  entirety,   in 
order  that    they   may    come   into   force  on  the   1st  of 
January.       Otherwise,  everything  will    remain    uncer- 
tain.    If  the  representatives  of  North  Germany  alter 
the  treaties,    the  South  German  Diets  will  be  entitled 
to  make  further  amendments  in  a  contrary  sense,  and 
there  is  no  knowing  how  far  that  right  might  not  be 
exercised.      In   such   circumstances,  the  nation  might 
have  still  to  wait  a  long  time  for  its  political  unity. 
("  Perhaps  ten   years,"  said   the   Chief,  "  and  interim 
aliquid  fit.'')     In  that  case,  also  the  Treaty  of  Peace 
might  not  be  what  we  desire.     The  treaties  may  be 
deficient,   but  they  can  always  be  gradually  improved 
by  the  Eeichstag,  in  co-operation  with  the  Bundesrath, 
and  through  the  pressure  of  public  opinion  and  national 
sentiment.     There  is   no  hurry  about  that.     If  public 
opinion  brings  no  pressure  to  bear  in  that  direction,  it 
is  obvious  that  the  present  arrangement  meets  the  views 
of  the  majority  of  the  nation.     Men  of  national  senti- 
ment at  Versailles  are  very  anxious  and  uneasy  at  the 
prevailing  dispositions   in  Berlin.     They  are,  however, 
to  some  extent  reassured  by  the  fact  that   the    Volks- 
zeitung  opposes  the  Bavarian   Treaty,  as   people  have 
gradually  grown  accustomed  to  find  that  aU  persons  of 
political  insight  as  a  rule  reject  whatever  that  journal 
praises   and  recommends,    and  are   disposed  to    adopt 
whatever  it  deprecates  and  censures. 

At  dinner  Bamberger,  the  member  of  the  Reichstag, 
was  on  the  Chiefs  left.  He  is  also  going  to  Berlin  in 
order  to  plead  for  the  adoption,  without  alteration,  of 
the  treaties  with  South  Germany.  The  conversation 
first  turned  on  doctors  and  their  knowledge,  whereupon 
the  Chief  (I  cannot  now  remember  on  what  grounds) 


362     THE  RESPONSIBILITY  OF  PARLIAMENTS    [Dec.  5, 1870 

delivered  the  following  weighty  judgment :  "  Ah,  yes, 
if  doctors  were  only  sensible  men ;  but  as  it  is,  they  are 
dolts."  The  question  of  the  treaties  was  then  discussed, 
and  the  attitude  of  the  Princes  in  this  matter  was 
admitted  to  be  correct.  *'  Yes,  but  the  Reichstao-,"  said 
the  Chancellor ;  "  it  reminds  me  of  Kaiser  Heinrich  and 
his  *  Gentlemen,  you  have  spoiled  my  sport.'  ^  In  that 
instance  it  ultimately  turned  out  all  right,  but  in  this  ! 
All  the  members  of  the  Reichstag  might  sacrifice  them- 
selves one  after  another  upon  the  altar  of  the  Father- 
land— it  would  be  all  to  no  purpose."  After  reflecting 
for  a  moment,  the  Minister  continued,  with  a  smile  : 
"  Members  of  the  Diet  and  the  Reichstag  should  be 
made  responsible,  like  Ministers,  no  more  and  no  less, 
and  placed  on  a  footing  of  absolute  equality.  A  Bill 
should  provide  for  the  impeachment  for  treason  of 
members  of  Parliament  when  they  reject  important 
State  treaties,  or,  as  in  Paris,  approve  of  a  war  under- 
taken on  frivolous  pretexts.  They  were  all  in  favour  of 
the  war,  with  the  exception  of  Jules  Favre.  Perhaps  I 
shall  bring  in  some  such  measure  one  day." 

The  conversation  then  turned  upon  the  approaching 
capitulation  of  Paris,  which  must  take  place,  at  latest, 
within  a  month.  "Ah  !"  sighed  the  Chancellor,  "it  is 
then  that  my  troubles  will  begin  in  earnest."  .  .  .  Bam- 
berger was  of  opinion  that  they  should  not  be  allowed 
merely  to  capitulate,  but  should  immediately  be  called 
upon  to  conclude  peace.  "  Quite  so,"  said  the  Chief. 
"  That  is  exactly  my  view,  and  they  should  be  forced  to 
do  so  by  starvation.  But  there  are  people  who  want, 
above  all  else,  to  be  extolled  for  their  humane  feelings, 
and  they  will  spoil   everything — altogether  forgetting 

^  His  greeting  to  those  who  brought  him  the  news  of  his  election  aa 
Emperor  while  he  was  netting  birds  in  the  forest. 


Dec.  5,  1870]  THE  ESTER HAZ  V  FAMIL  Y  363 

the  fact  that  we  must  thmk  of  our  own  soldiers,  and 
take  care  that  they  shall  not  suffer  want  and  be  shot 
down  to  no  purpose.  It  is  just  the  same  with  the 
bombardment.  And  then  we  are  told  to  spare  people 
who  are  searching  for  potatoes  ;  they  should  be  shot 
too,  if  we  want  to  reduce  the  city  by  starvation." 

After  8  o'clock,  I  was  called  to  the  Chief  several 
times,  and  wrote  two  paragraphs  for  the  Spenersclie 
Zeitung  in  accordance  with  his  instructions.  The  first 
ran  as  follows  : — "  The  Vienna  newspapers  recently 
stated  that  '  the  German  Austrians  did  not  wish  for 
war,  and  the  majority  of  the  Austrian  Slavs  just  as 
little.'  But  there  is  in  Austria,  and  in  Hungary,  a  not 
very  numerous  but  influential  party  which  does  desire 
war.  When  inquiry  is  made  as  to  their  real  motive  for 
doing  so,  it  is  found  to  arise  from  pride  and  arrogance, 
from  a  kind  of  frivolous  chivalry,  from  a  real  hunger 
for  political  luxuries,  from  the  determination  to  play  the 
Grand  Seigneur  before  the  world.  The  Austrians  of 
this  party,  in  which  very  distinguished  personages  are 
the  moving  spirits,  seem  to  us  to  resemble  the  princely 
family  of  Esterhazy,  It  is  an  ancient  house,  of  high 
rank,  with  great  estates  and  a  large  fortune.  Its 
members  might  weU  have  been  content  to  occupy  so 
eminent  a  position.  But  the  evil  genius  of  the  family 
continually  drove  them  into  extravagance,  into  making 
too  great  demands  upon  their  resources,  into  squandering 
enormous  sums  on  horses,  diamonds,  &c.,  with  the 
object  of  displaying  their  wealth  and  importance ;  so 
that  they  fell  into  debt,  and,  finally,  came  to  the  verge 
of  bankruptcy.  The  Esterhazy  Lottery  was  then 
resorted  to,  and  actually  did  tide  them  over  their 
difficulties.  The  family  was  saved.  But  scarcely  have 
they  begun  to  breathe  freely,  and  to  regain  their  footing  , 


364  THE  DEC  A  Y  OF  A  U STRIA  [Dec.  5, 1870 

when  their  evil  genius  once  more  inspires  them,  and  the 
old  game  goes  on  again,  until,  at  length,  a  time  will 
come  when  even  a  lottery  will  no  longer  save  them. 
The  Austrian  party  to  which  we  have  already  referred 
seems  to  us  to  present  a  close  resemblance  to  the 
Esterhazys.  The  State  is  a  fine  property,  with  excellent 
natural  advantages,  a  rich  soil,  and  a  great  variety  of 
valuable  resources.  But  the  policy  of  the  proprietors 
is  exactly  the  same  as  that  of  the  Esterhazys.  They 
must  always  overreach  themselves,  and  try  to  be  more 
than  they  really  are.  The  evil  genius  of  the  State 
regards  as  a  necessity  what  is  in  reality  mere  luxury, 
self-conceit,  and  the  desire  to  cut  a  great  figure  in  the 
world.  In  that  way,  the  ancient  and  wealthy  house  has 
become  a  comparatively  poor  one,  with  a  touch  of  the 
Quixotic,  and  a  still  stronger  flavour  of  unfair  dealing, 
which  is  very  badly  suited  to  our  matter-of-fact  age, 
when  so  much  importance  is  attached  to  the  ability  to 
pay  one's  way.  Every  now  and  then,  the  State,  like  its 
prototype  the  Esterhazys,  escapes  out  of  its  troubles 
by  means  of  a  lottery,  or  of  some  not  particularly 
respectable  financial  manoeuvre  ;  but  then  it  suddenly 
puts  forward  fresh  claims  to  a  position  beyond  its  means, 
presumes  to  play  the  part  of  a  great  Power,  squanders 
millions  on  mobilisation,  as  its  prototype  does  on  stables 
and  diamonds,  and  thus  sinks  deeper  and  deeper  into 
financial  difficulties.  Instead  of  being  able  to  satisfy 
its  creditors  by  good  management  and  a  modest  bearing, 
it  moves  steadily  forward,  without  pause  or  rest,  to- 
wards that  bankruptcy  which  for  a  considerable  space 
has  only  been  a  question  of  time." 

The  foregoing  is  an  almost  literal  reproduction  01 
the  Chiefs  own  words.  I  did  not  venture,  however, 
to  incorporate  his  concluding   remarks,  which  were  as 


Dec.  5, 1870]     THE  HAPSBURGS  AND  THE  ORLEANS        36$ 

follows :  "  The  Hapsburgs  have  really  become  great 
through  plundering  old  families — the  Hungarians,  for 
instance.  At  bottom  they  are  only  a  family  of  police 
spies  (polizeilich-Spitzelfamilie)  who  lived  upon  and 
made  their  fortune  by  confiscations." 

The  second  paragraph,  which  referred  to  a  statement 
in  the  Independance  Beige,  pointed  out  that  the 
relationship  between  the  Orleans  and  the  House  of 
Hapsburg- Lorraine  through  the  Due  d'Alengon,  could 
not  induce  us  Germans  to  regard  them  with  any  special 
favour.  The  paragraph  was  to  the  following  effect.  It 
is  known  that  Trochu  declined  the  offer  of  the  Princes 
of  the  House  of  Orleans  to  take  part  in  the  struggle 
against  us.  The  Independance  Beige  now  states  that 
the  Due  d'Alengon,  second  son  of  the  Due  de  Nemours, 
who  was  at  that  time  incapacitated  by  illness  from 
joining  his  uncles  and  cousins  in  their  offer  of  service, 
has  now  sought  salvation  by  adopting  a  similar  course. 
The  Brussels  organ  adds  the  significant  remark  :  "  It 
wiU  be  remembered  that  the  Due  d'Alen9on  is  married 
to  a  sister  of  the  Empress  of  Austria."  We  understand 
that  hint,  and  believe  we  shall  be  speaking  in  the  spirit 
of  German  policy  in  replying  to  it  as  follows : — The 
Orleans  are  quite  as  hostile  to  us  as  the  other  dynasties 
that  are  fishing  for  the  French  throne.  Their  journals 
are  filled  with  lies  and  abuse  directed  against  us.  We 
have  not  forgotten  the  hymn  of  praise  which  the  Due 
de  Joinville  raised  after  the  battle  of  Worth  to  the 
franctireurs  who  had  acted  like  assassins.  The  only 
French  Government  we  care  for  is  that  which  can  do  us 
the  least  harm,  because  it  is  most  occupied  with  its  own 
affairs,  and  with  maintaining  its  own  position  against 
its  rivals.  Otherwise  Orleanists,  Legitimists,  Imperial- 
ists, and  Eepublicans  are  all  of  the  same  value  or  no 


366  A  DULL  EVENING   WITH  1  HE  KING    [Dec.   5,  1870 

value  to  us.  And  as  for  those  who  throw  out  hints 
about  the  Austrian  relationship,  they  would  do  well  to 
be  on  their  guard,  as  we  are  on  ours.  There  is  in 
Austria-Hungary  one  party  in  favour  of  Germany  and 
another  hostile  to  her, — a  party  that  wants  to  continue 
the  policy  of  Kaunitz  in  the  Seven  Years'  War,  a  policy 
of  constant  conspiracy  with  France  against  German 
interests,  and  particularly  against  Prussia.  That  is  the 
policy  which  has  recently  been  connected  with  Metter- 
nich's  name,  and  which  was  pursued  from  1815  to  1866. 
Since  then  more  or  less  vigorous  attempts  have  been 
made  to  continue  it.  It  is  the  party  of  which  the 
younger  Metternich  is  regarded  as  the  leader.  He  has 
for  years  past  been  looked  upon  as  the  most  ardent 
advocate  of  a  Franco-Austrian  alliance  against  Germany, 
and  one  of  the  principal  instigators  of  the  present  war. 
If  the  Orleans  believe  that  their  prospects  are  improved 
by  their  connection  with  Austria,  they  ought  also  to 
know  that  for  that  very  reason  they  have  nothing  to 
hope  from  us. 

After  Bucher,  Keudell  and  myself  had  been  for  some 
time  at  tea,  we  were  joined  by  the  Chief,  and  afterwards 
by  Hatzfeldt,  who  had  been  with  the  King.  He  said  it 
was  intolerably  dull  there. 

"  Grimm,  the  Russian  Councillor  of  State,  gave  us  a 
variety  of  wearisome  particulars  about  Louis  Quatorze 
and  Louis  Quinze,  The  W.  worried  us,  and  me  in 
particular,  with  silly  questions."  (He  pouted  his  lips, 
assumed  a  killing  smile,  and  bent  his  head  to  one  side, 
imitating  the  Grand  Duke's  affectations.)  "  He  informed 
us  that  the  students  at  St.  Cyr  all  received  a  portrait  of 
Madame  Main  tenon,  and  that  he  himself  had  one  also. 
The  King,  who  had  occasionally  rubbed  his  eyes, 
observed   somewhat  pointedly,   '  I  suppose   they  were 


Dec.5,  i87o]  ROYAL  TWADDLERS  367 

photographs.'  '  No,  oh  uo,  engravings.'  '  Well,  then, 
what  did  you  do  with  yours  ? '  the  King  asked.  '  Why, 
nothing,  I  kept  it.'  The  Grand  Duke  then  asked  me — 
he  had  obviously  prepared  the  question  in  advance,  and 
perhaps  learnt  it  by  heart — '  Is  the  Revue,  des  Deux 
Mondes  still  published  ?  An  interesting  newspaper.'  I 
replied,  '  I  do  not  know,  your  Royal  Highness.'  '  Who 
is  the  editor  ? '  '  1  do  not  know  that  either.'  '  So-0-0  ! ' 
The  aides-de-camp  were  cruelly  bored,  and  one  of 
them  nudged  LehndorfF,  begging  him  in  a  whisper  to 
give  the  old  fool  a  rap  on  the  head  with  his  crutch." 

"  Yes,  he  is  a  fearful  bore,"  added  the  Chief. 
"  What  a  miserable  position  it  must  be  for  a  man  whose 
father  was  a  Court  official  to  him  or  one  like  him,  and 
who  has  to  assume  the  same  office  himself — a  chamberlain 
or  something  of  that  kind,  who  has  to  listen  day  after 
day  to  all  that  twaddle,  and  has  no  prospect  of  ever 
becoming  anything  else !  The  Queen  is  just  such 
another.  She  was  educated  in  the  same  school.  I 
remember  she  once  questioned  me  on  a  literary  subject, 
I  believe  it  was  about  some  French  book  or  other,  '  I 
do  not  know,  your  Majesty,'  I  replied.  '  Ah,  I  suppose 
that  does  not  interest  you.'  '  No,  your  Majesty.' 
Radowitz  was  very  strong  on  those  subjects.  He 
boldly  gave  every  kind  of  information,  and  in  that  way 
secured  a  great  deal  of  his  success  at  Court.  He  was 
able  to  tell  exactly  what  Maintenon  or  Pompadour  wore 
on  such  and  such  a  day ;  such  and  such  a  gewgaw^  on 
her  neck,  her  head-dress  trimmed  with  colibris  or  grapes, 
her  gown  pearl-grey  or  peacock-green  with  fui'belows  or 
lace  of  this  or  that  description — exactly  as  if  he  had 
been  there  at  the  time.  The  ladies  were  all  ear  for 
these  toilette  lectures,  which  he  poured  forth  with  the 
utmost  fluency.'' 


368  ALEXANDER  VON  HUMBOLDT       [Dec.  5, 1870 

The  conversation  then  turned  upon  Alexander  von 
Humboldt,  who  appears  to  have  been  a  courtier  too,  but 
not  of  the  amusing  variety.     The  Chief  said  :  "  Under 
the  late  King   I  was  the  sole  victim  when  Humboldt 
chose  to  entertain  the  company  in  his  own  style.     He 
usually  read,  often  for  hours  at  a  time,  the  biography 
of  some  French  savant  or  architect  in  whom  nobody  in 
the  world  except  himself  took  the   slightest  interest. 
He  stood  by  the  lamp  holding  the  paper  close  to  the 
light,  and  occasionally  paused  for  the  purpose  of  making 
some  learned  observation.     Although  nobody  listened 
to  him  he  had  the  ear  of  the  house.     The  Queen  was 
all  the  time  at  work  on  a  piece  of  tapestry,  and  certainly 
did  not  understand  a  word  of  what  he  said.     The  King 
looked    through   his  portfolios  of   engravings,   turning 
them  over  as  noisily  as  possible,  evidently  with  the  in- 
tention of   not  hearing   him.      The  young   people  on 
both  sides  and  in  the  background  enjoyed  themselves 
without  the  least  restraint,  so  that  their  cackling  and 
giggling  actually  drowned  his  reading,  which  however 
rippled  on  without  break  or  stop  like  a  brook.     Gerlach, 
who  was  usually  present,  sat  on  his  small  round  chair 
which  could  barely  accommodate  his  voluminous  person, 
and  slept  so  soundly  that  he  snored.     The  King  was 
once  obliged  to  wake  him,  and  said,  '  Pray,    Gerlach, 
don't  snore  so  loud  ! '     I  was  Humboldt's  only  patient 
listener,  that  is  to  say  I  sat  silent  and  pretended  to 
listen,  at  the  same  time  following  my  own  thoughts, 
until  at  length  cold  cake  and  white  wine  were  served. 
It  put  the  old  gentleman  in  very  bad  humour  not  to 
be  allowed  to  have  the  talk  all  to  himself.     I  remember 
once    there    was    somebody    there    who    managed    to 
monopolise  the  conversation,  quite  naturally,  it  is  true, 
as  he  was  a  clever  raconteur  and  spoke  about  things 


Dec.  5,  1870]    "  ON  THE  PEAK  OF  POPOCATAPETL"  369 

that    interested     everybody.       Humboldt    was   beside 
himself.     In  a  peevish  surly  temper  he  piled  his  plate 
so  high  (pointing  with  his  hand)  with  ]jdte  de  foie  gras, 
fat  eels,  lobsters'  tails,  and  other  indigestible  stuff, — 
a  real  mountain, — it  was  astounding  that  an  old  man 
could  put  it  all  away.      At  last  his  patience  was   ex- 
hausted, and  he  could  not  stand  it  any  longer.     So  he 
tried    to    interrupt    the    s]oeaker.      '  On    the   peak    of 
Popocatapetl,'  he  began, — but  the  other  went    on  with 
his    story.       '  On   the   peak    of    Popocatapetl,    seven 
thousand  fathoms  above ' — but  he  again  failed  to  make 
any  impression,  and  the  narrative  maintained  its  easy 
flow.      '  On  the  peak  of  Popocatapetl,  seven  thousand 
fathoms  above  the  level  of  the  sea,'  he  exclaimed  in  a 
loud  and  excited  tone, — but  with   as  little  success  as 
before.      The  talker  talked  on,  and  the    company  had 
no  ears  for  anybody  else.     That  was  something  unheard 
of,    outrageous !      Humboldt    threw    himself    back    in 
morose   meditation    over  the  ingratitude  of   mankind, 
and    shortly    afterwards    left.      The    Liberals    made  a 
great  deal  of  him,  and  counted  him  as  one  of  them- 
selves.    He  was  however  a  sycophant  who  aspired  to 
the  favour  of  Princes  and  who  was  only  happy  when 
basking  in  the  sunshine   of    royalty.       That   did   not 
prevent  him  however  from  criticising  the  Court  after- 
wards to  Varnhagen,  and  repeating  all  sorts  of  discredit- 
able stories  about  it.     Varnhagen  worked  these  up  into 
books,  which  I  also   bought.     They  are  fearfully  dear 
when  one  thinks  how  few  lines  in  large  type  go  to  the 
page."     Keudell  observed  that  they  were  nevertheless 
indispensable   for   historical    purposes.       "  Yes,    in    a 
certain  sense,"  replied  the  Chief.     "  Taken  individually 
the   stories  are   not  worth  much,  but  as  a  whole  they 
are  an  expression  of  the  sourness  of  Berlin  at  a  period 

VOL.  I  B   B 


370 


METTERNICH  [Dec.  5,  1870 


when  nothing  of  importance  was  happening.  At  that 
time  everybody  talked  in  that  maliciously  impotent 
way.  Tt  was  a  society  which  it  would  be  hardly 
possible  to  realise  to-day  without  the  assistance  of  such 
books,  unless  one  had  personal  experience  of  it.  A 
great  deal  of  outward  show  with  nothing  genuine 
behind  it.  I  remember,  although  I  was  a  very  little 
fellow  at  the  time,  it  must  have  been  in  1821  or  '22. 
Ministers  were  still  like  strange  animals,  regarded  with 
wonder  as  something  mysterious.  There  was  once  a 
large  party,  which  was  at  that  time  called  an  assemblee, 
given  at  Schuckmann's — what  a  monstrous  huge  beast 
he  was  as  a  Minister  !  My  mother  also  went  there.  I 
remember  it  as  if  it  were  to-day.  She  wore  long  gloves 
that  went  up  to  here."  (He  pointed  to  the  upper  part 
of  his  arm.)  "  A  dress  with  a  short  waist,  her  hair 
puffed  out  on  both  sides,  and  a  big  ostrich  feather  on 
her  head."  (The  Chief  left  this  anecdote  unfinished,  if 
indeed  there  was  any  conclusion  to  it,  and  returned  to 
his  former  subject.)  "  Humboldt,  however,"  he  con- 
tinued, "  had  a  great  many  interesting  things  to  tell 
when  one  was  alone  with  him,  about  the  times  of 
Frederick  William  III.,  and  in  particular  about  his  own 
first  sojourn  in  Paris.  As  he  liked  me,  owing  to  the 
attention  with  which  I  listened  to  him,  he  told  me  a 
number  of  pretty  anecdotes.  It  was  the  same  with  old 
Metternich,  with  whom  I  spent  a  few  days  at  Johannes- 
burg. Thun  afterwards  said  to  me,  '  I  do  not  know 
how  you  have  managed  to  get  round  the  old  Prince,  but 
he  has  indeed  looked  into  you  as  if  you  were  a  golden 
goblet,  and  he  told  me  if  you  do  not  come  to  an  under- 
standing with  him  then  I  really  don't  know  what 
to  say.'  '  I  can  explain  that  to  you,'  I  replied.  '  I 
listened   to   all   his  stories,  and    often    prompted   him 


Dec.  6,  iS/o]     GRAMMONTS  ''BRAZEN  IMPUDENCE''        371 

to  continue    them.       That    pleases    the   garrulous    old 
people.' " 

Hatzfeldt  said  that  Moltke  had  written  to  Trochu 
telhng  him  how  affairs  stood  at  Orleans,  and  expressing 
his  readiness  to  allow  one  of  Trochu's  officers  to  satisfy 
himself  of  the  truth  of  his  statement.  He  would  be 
furnished  with  a  safe  conduct  to  Orleans.  The  Chief 
said  :  "I  know  that.  But  he  should  not  have  done  so. 
They  ought  to  find  that  out  for  themselves.  Our  lines 
are  now  thin  at  various  points,  and  they  have  also  a 
pigeon  post.  They  will  only  imagine  we  are  in  a  hurry 
to  get  them  to  capitulate." 

Tuesday,  December  6th. — In  the  morning  I  tele- 
graphed to  Berlin  and  London  more  detailed  particulars 
of  the  victory  at  Orleans.  Then  wrote  articles  for  the 
Moniteur  and  the  German  papers  on  the  way  in  which 
French  officers  interned  in  Germany  are  breaking  their 
parole.  So  long  as  this  unworthy  conduct  receives 
approval  and  encouragement  from  the  Government  of 
National  Defence,  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  carry  on 
any  negotiations  with  it. 

Dr.  Lauer  and  Odo  Eussell  dined  with  us  to-day. 
The  conversation  was  not  of  particular  interest.  We 
had,  however,  a  delicious  Palatine  wine — Deidesheimer 
Hofstuck  and  Forster  Kirchenstiick,  a  noble  juice,  rich 
in  all  virtues,  fragrant,  and  fiery.  Aus  Feue  ward  der 
Geist  erschaffen.  Even  Bucher,  who  usually  drinks 
only  red  wine,  did  justice  to  this  heavenly  dew  from 
the  Haardt  Hills. 

I  afterwards  wrote  an  article  in  which  I  politely 
expressed  surprise  at  the  brazen  impudence  with  which 
Grammont  reminds  the  world  of  his  existence  in  the 
Brussels  Gaulois.  He  who,  through  his  unparalleled 
ineptitude,  has  brought  so  much  misery  upon  France, 

B  B  2 


372  STRONG  LANGUAGE  [Dec.  6,  1870 


should,  like  his  colleague  Ollivier,  have  hidden  himself 
in  silence  and  been  glad  to  be  forgotten.  Or,  inspired 
by  his  ancient  name,  he  should  have  joined  the  army 
and  fought  for  his  country,  so  as  in  some  degree  to 
expiate  the  wrong  he  has  done  it.  Instead  of  doing 
anything  of  the  kind,  however,  he  dares  to  remind  the 
world  that  he  still  lives,  and  once  conducted  the  foreign 
policy  of  France.  "A  blockhead,  a  coward,  an  im- 
pudent fellow  ! "  said  the  Chief,  when  he  instructed  me 
to  write  this  article.  "  You  can  use  the  strongest 
expressions  in  dealing  with  him." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE    PROSPECTS    OUTSIDE    PARIS    IMPROVE 

Wednesday,  December  7th. — At  dinner  the  Chief  related 
some  of  his  Frankfurt  reminiscences.  "  It  was  possible 
to  get  on  with  Thun,"  he  said.  "  He  was  a  respectable 
man.  Taken  altogether,  Rechberg  ^  was  also  not  bad. 
He  was  at  least  honourable  from  a  personal  standpoint, 
although  violent  and  irascible — one  of  those  passionate, 
fiery  blondes  !  It  is  true  that  as  an  Austrian  diplomat 
of  those  days  he  was  not  able  to  pay  too  strict  a  regard 
to  truth.  I  remember  his  once  receiving  a  despatch  in 
which  he  was  instructed  to  maintain  the  best  relations 
with  us,  a  second  despatch  being  sent  to  him  at  the 
same  time  enjoining  him  to  follow  an  exactly  opposite 
course.  I  happened  to  call  upon  him,  and  he  inadvert- 
ently gave  me  the  second  despatch  to  read.  I  saw 
immediately  how  matters  stood  and  read  it  through. 
Then  handing  it  back  to  him  I  said :  '  I  beg  your 
pardon,  but  you  have  given  me  the  wrong  one.'  He  was 
fearfully  embarrassed,  but  I  consoled  him,  saying  I  would 
take  no  advantage  of  his  mistake,  using  it  merely  for 
my  personal  information."  "  The  third,  however, — 
Prokesch — was  not  at  all  to  my  liking.     In  the  East  he 

1  Thun,  Rechberg  and  Prokesch  held   in   succession  the  position  of 
Austrian  Minister  to  the  Bundestag. 


374  AN  INCIDENT  AT  FRANKFURT     [Dec.  8,  1870 


had  learnt  the  basest  forms  of  intrigue  and  had  no  sense 
of  honour  or  truth.  A  thoroughpaced  liar.  I  remember 
being  once  in  a  large  company  where  some  Austrian 
assertion  which  was  not  in  accordance  with  the  truth 
was  being  discussed.  Prokesch,  raising  his  voice  in 
order  that  I  might  hear  him,  said  :  '  If  that  be  not  true, 
then  the  Imperial  and  Royal  Cabinet  has  commissioned 
me  to  commit  an  act  of  perfidy,  indeed  his  Imperial  and 
Apostolic  Majesty  has  lied  to  me  ! '  and  he  emphasised 
the  word  lied.  He  looked  at  me  whilst  he  was  speaking, 
and,  when  he  had  finished,  I  replied,  quietly  :  '  Quite  so, 
Excellency  ! '  He  was  obviously  aghast,  and  as  he 
looked  round  and  found  all  eyes  cast  down  and  a  deep 
silence  which  showed  approval  of  what  I  had  said,  he 
turned  away  without  a  word  and  went  into  the  dining- 
room  where  the  table  was  laid.  He  had  recovered  him- 
self, however,  after  dinner,  and  came  over  to  me  with  a 
full  glass  in  his  hand — but  for  that  I  should  have 
thought  he  was  going  to  challenge  me — and  said,  '  Well, 
let  us  make  peace.'  '  Certainly,'  I  replied,  '  but  what  I 
said  in  the  other  room  w^as  true,  and  the  protocol  must 
be  altered.'  The  protocol  was  altered,  an  admission 
that  it  had  contained  an  untruth.     A  rascally  fellow  !  " 

Tliursday,  December  8th. — Some  one  asked  at 
dinner  how  the  question  of  Emperor  and  Empire 
now  stood.  The  Chief  replied  inter  alia:  "  We  have 
had  a  great  deal  of  trouble  with  it  in  the  way  of  tele- 
grams and  letters.  But  after  all  Holnstein  has  done 
the  greater  part  of  the  work.  He  is  a  clever  fellow, 
and  not  in  the  least  spoilt  by  or  prepossessed  in  favour 
of  Court  manners."  Putbus  asked  what  position  he 
held.  "  Master  of  the  Horse.  He  showed  himself 
very  willing  and  energetic,  making  the  journey  to 
Munich  and  back  in  six  days.     In  the  present  condition 


Dec.  8,  1870]  ENGLISH  IDIOMS  375 

of  the  railways  that  requires  a  great  deal  of  good  will. 
Of  course  lie  has  the  necessary  physique.  Indeed,  not 
merely  to  Munich,  but  to  Hohenschwangau, — and  there 
saw  the  King  who  had  just  been  operated  under  chloro- 
form for  a  tumour  in  the  gum.  But  King  Lewis 
also  greatly  contributed  to  the  speedy  settlement  of 
the  matter.  He  received  the  letter  immediately,  and  at 
once  gave  a  definite  answer.  He  might  easily  have 
said  that  he  must  first  take  some  fresh  air  in  the 
mountains,  and  would  answer  in  three  or  four  days. 
The  Count  has  certainly  done  us  a  very  good  service  in 
the  affair ;  but  I  really  do  not  know  how  we  can  reward 
him."  I  forget  how  the  conversation  came  to  deal  with 
the  terms  "  Swell,"  "  Snob,"  and  "  Cockney,"  which 
were  the  subject  of  much  discussion.  The  Chief  men- 
tioned a  certain  diplomat  as  a  "  swell,"  and  observed  : 
"It  is  really  a  capital  word,  but  we  cannot  translate  it 
into  German.  '  Stutzer,'  perhaps,  but  that  conveys  at 
the  same  time  pompousness  and  self-importance. 
'  Snob '  is  something  quite  diff"erent,  while  it  is  also 
very  diflicult  for  us  to  render  properly.  It  denotes  a 
variety  of  attributes,  but  principally  one-sidedness, 
narrowness,  slavery  to  local  or  class  prejudices,  philis- 
tinism.  A  '  snob '  is  something  like  our  '  Pfalhurger,' 
yet  not  quite.  It  includes  also  a  petty  conception 
of  family  interests,  political  narrow-mindedness,  rigid 
adherence  to  ideas  and  habits  that  have  become  a 
second  nature.  There  are  also  female  snobs  and  very 
distinguished  ones.  The  feminine  half  of  our  Court 
are  snobs.  Our  two  most  exalted  ladies  are  snobs. 
The  male  element  is  not  snobbish.  One  may  also  talk 
of  party  snobs — those  who  in  larger  political  issues 
cannot  emancipate  themselves  from  the  rules  that  govern 
private  conduct — the   '  Progressist  snob.'     The  cockney 


376  VARIETIES  OF  ''SNOBS"  [Dec.  8,  1870 

again  is  quite  another  person.  That  term  applies  more 
particularly  to  Londoners.  There  are  people  there  who 
have  never  been  outside  their  own  walls  and  streets, 
never  got  away  from  the  brick  and  mortar,  who  have 
never  seen  life  anywhere  else  nor  travelled  beyond  the 
sound  of  Bow  Bells.  We  have  also  Berliners  who  have 
never  left  their  city.  But  Berlin  is  a  small  place  com- 
pared to  London,  or  even  Paris,  which  has  also  its 
cockneys,  although  they  are  known  by  another  name 
there.  There  are  hundreds  of  thousands  in  London 
who  have  never  seen  anything  but  London.  In  such 
great  cities  conceptions  are  formed  which  permeate  the 
whole  community,  and  harden  into  the  most  inveterate 
prejudices.  Such  narrow  and  silly  ideas  arise  in  every 
great  centre  of  population  where  the  people  have  no 
experience,  and  often  not  the  faintest  notion  of  how 
things  look  elsewhere.  Silliness  without  conceit  is  en- 
durable, but  to  be  silly  and  unpractical,  and  at  the 
same  time  conceited,  is  intolerable.  Country  life  brings 
people  into  much  closer  contact  with  realities.  They 
may  be  less  educated  there,  but  what  they  know  they 
know  thoroughly.  There  are,  however,  snobs  in  the 
country  also.  (Turning  to  Putbus.)  Just  take  a  really 
clever  shot.  He  is  convinced  that  he  is  the  first  man  in 
the  world,  and  that  sport  is  everything,  and  that  those 
who  do  not  understand  it  are  worth  nothing.  And 
then  a  man  who  lives  on  his  estate  in  a  remote  district, 
where  he  is  everything,  and  all  the  people  depend  upon 
him  ;  when  he  comes  to  the  wool-market  and  finds  that 
he  is  not  of  the  same  importance  with  the  townspeople 
as  he  is  at  home,  he  gets  into  a  bad  temper,  sits  sulking 
on  his  sack  of  wool,  and  takes  no  notice  of  anything 
else." 

At  tea,  Keudell  said  that  I  ought  really  to  see,  not 


Dec.  8,  1870]     THE  KING  AND  THE  CROWN  PRINCE         yn 

merely  those  political  despatches,  reports  and  drafts 
which  I  received  from  the  Minister,  but  everything  that 
came  in  and  went  out.  He  would  speak  on  the  subject 
to  Abeken,  who  acts  here  as  Secretary  of  State.  I 
accepted  his  proposal  with  many  thanks. 

Bucher  informed  me  that  the  Minister  had  made 
some  very  interesting  remarks  in  the  drawing-room 
while  they  were  taking  coffee.  Prince  Putbus  men- 
tioned his  desire  to  travel  in  far  distant  lands.  "  It 
might  be  possible  to  manage  that  for  you,"  said  the 
Chief.  "You  might  be  commissioned  to  notify  the 
foundation  of  the  German  Empire  to  the  Emperor  of 
China  and  the  Tycoon  of  Japan."  The  Minister  then 
discussed  at  length  the  duties  of  the  German  aristocracy, 
of  course  with  special  reference  to  his  guest. 

The  King  was  faithful  to  his  duty,  but  he  was  born 
in  the  last  century,  and  thus  he  regarded  many  things 
from  a  point  of  view  which  was  no  longer  suitable  to 
the  times.  He  would  allow  himself  to  be  cut  to  pieces 
in  the  interests  of  the  State,  as  he  understood  them,  if 
he  knew  that  his  family  would  be  provided  for.  The 
future  king  was  quite  different.  He  had  not  this  strong 
sense  of  duty.  When  he  found  himself  in  good  case, 
had  plenty  of  money  at  his  disposal,  and  was  praised  by 
the  newspapers,  he  was  quite  satisfied.  He  would 
choose  his  Ministers  in  the  English  fashion  from  the 
Liberal  or  from  other  parties  just  as  things  happened  in 
the  Diet,  in  order  to  avoid  trouble.  In  that  way,  how- 
ever, he  would  ruin  everything,  or  at  least  produce  a 
condition  of  constant  instability.  The  great  nobles 
ought  then  to  intervene.  They  must  have  a  sense  of 
the  necessities  of  the  State  and  recognise  their  mission, 
which  is  to  preserve  the  State  from  vacillation  and  un- 
certainty in  the  struggles  of  parties,  to  give  it  a  firm 


378  CARLYLES  LETTER  TO  THE  TIMES    [Dec.  12,  1870 

support,  &c.  There  was  no  objection  to  their  associating 
with  a  Strousberg,  but  they  would  do  better  to  become 
bankers  straight  away. 

Monday,  Decemher  12th. — The  Chiefs  indisposition 
seems  to  have  again  grown  worse,  and  it  is  said  that  he 
is  in  a  particularly  bad  humour.  Dr.  Lauer  has  been 
to  see  him.  TJie  Times  contains  the  following  com- 
munication which  it  would  be  impossible  for  us  to 
improve  upon.^ 

^  The  communication  referred  to  is  a  letter  by  Thomas  Carlyle  pub- 
lished in  The  Times  of  November  18,  in  which  it  occupied  two  and  a  half 
columns.  The  passages  quoted  by  Dr.  Busch  are  here  reproduced  from 
the  original : — 

' '  The  question  for  the  Germans,  in  this  crisis,  is  not  one  of 
'  magnanimity, '  of  '  heroic  pity  and  forgiveness  to  a  fallen  foe, '  but  of 
solid  prudence  and  practical  consideration  what  the  fallen  foe  will,  in  all 
likelihood,  do  when  once  on  his  feet  again.  Written  on  her  memory,  in 
a  distinctly  instructive  manner,  Germany  has  an  experience  of  400  years 
on  this  point ;  of  which  on  the  English  memory,  if  it  ever  was  recorded 
there,  there  is  now  little  or  no  trace  visible.  ,  .  .  No  nation  ever  had  so 
bad  a  neighbour  as  Germany  has  had  in  France  for  the  last  400  years  ; 
bad  in  all  manner  of  ways  ;  insolent,  rapacious,  insatiable,  unappeasable, 
continually  aggressive.  .  .  .  Germany,  I  do  clearly  believe,  would  be  a 
foolish  nation  not  to  think  of  raismg  up  some  secure  boundary  fence 
between  herself  and  such  a  neighbour  now  that  she  has  the  chance. 
There  is  no  law  of  nature  that  I  know  of,  no  Heavens  Act  of  Parliament 
whereby  France,  alone  of  terrestrial  beings,  shall  not  restore  any  portion 
of  her  plundered  goods  when  the  owners  they  were  wrenched  from  have 
an  opportunity  upon  them.  .  .  .  The  French  complain  dreadfully  of 
threatened  '  loss  of  honour '  ;  and  lamentable  bystanders  plead  earnestly, 
'  Don't  dishonour  France  ;  leave  poor  France's  honour  bright.'  But  will 
it  save  the  honour  of  France  to  refuse  paying  for  the  glass  she  has 
voluntarily  broken  in  her  neighbour's  windows.  The  attack  upon  the 
windows  was  her  dishonour.  Signally  disgraceful  to  any  nation  was  her 
late  assault  on  Germany  ;  equally  signal  has  been  the  ignominy  of  its 
execution  on  the  part  of  France.  The  honour  of  France  can  be  saved 
only  by  the  deep  repentance  of  France,  and  by  the  serious  determination 
never  to  do  so  again — to  do  the  reverse  of  so  for  ever  henceforth.  .  .  . 
For  the  present,  I  must  say,  France  looks  more  and  more  delii'ious, 
miserable,  blamable,  pitiable  and  even  contemptible.  She  refuses  to  see 
the  facts  that  are  lying  palpably  before  her  face,  and  the  penalties  she 
has  brought  upon  herself.  A  France  scattered  into  anarchic  ruin,  with- 
out recognisable  head  ;   head,  or   chief,  indistinguishable  from  feet,  or 


Dec.  12,  1870]         ENGLISH  PRESS  OPINIONS  379 


An  excellent  letter  which  we  must  submit  to  the 
Versailles  people  in  the  Moniteur. 

Busily  engaged  all  the  evening.  Translated  for  the 
King  articles  published  by  The  Times  and  Daily  Tele- 
grapp  warmly  approving  of  the  restoration  of  the 
German  Empire  and  the  imperial  dignity. 

The  Times  article,  after  stating  that  not  merely  the 
fact  of  the  restoration  of  the  German  Empire  but  also 
the  manner  in  which  it  had  been  brought  about  could 
only  be  regarded  with  the  liveliest  satisfaction,  proceeds 
as  follows  : — 

"  The  political  significance  of  this  change  cannot  be 
placed  too  high.     A  mighty  revolution  has  been  accom- 

rabble  ;  Ministers  flying  up  in  balloons  ballasted  with  nothing  else  but 
outrageous  public  lies,  proclamations  of  victories  that  were  creatures  of 
the  fancy  ;  a  Government  subsisting  altogether  on  mendacity,  willing 
that  horrid  bloodshed  should  continue  and  increase  rather  than  that  they, 
beautiful  Republican  creatures,  should  cease  to  have  the  guidance  of  it  ; 
I  know  not  when  and  where  there  was  seen  a  nation  so  covering  itself 
with  dishonour.  .  .  .  The  quantity  of  conscious  mendacity  that  France, 
ofiicial  and  other,  has  perpetrated  latterly,  especially  since  July  last,  is 
something  wonderful  and  fearful.  And,  alas  !  perhaps  even  that  is  small 
compared  to  the  self-delusion  and  wnconscious  mendacity  long  prevalent 
among  the  French.  .  .  .  To  me  at  times  the  mournfuUest  symptom  in 
France  is  the  figure  its  '  men  of  genius,'  its  highest  literary  speakers, 
who  should  be  prophets  and  seers  to  it,  make  at  present,  and,  indeed,  for 
a  generation  back  have  been  making.  It  is  evidently  their  belief  that 
new  celestial  wisdom  is  radiating  out  of  France  upon  all  the  other  over- 
shadowed nations  ;  that  France  is  the  new  Mount  Zion  of  the  universe  ; 
and  that  all  this  sad,  sordid,  semi-delirious,  and,  in  good  part,  infernal 
stuff  which  French  literature  has  been  preaching  to  us  for  the  last  fifty 
years  is  a  veritable  new  Gospel  out  of  Heaven,  pregnant  with  blessedness 
for  all  the  sons  of  men.  ...  I  believe  Bismarck  (sic)  will  get  his  Alsace 
and  what  he  wants  of  Lorraine  ;  and  likewise  that  it  will  do  him,  and  us, 
and  all  the  world,  and  even  France  itself  by  and  by,  a  great  deal  of  good. 
.  .  .  (Bismarck)  in  fact  seems  to  me  to  be  striving  with  strong  faculty, 
by  patient,  grand  and  successful  steps,  towards  an  object  beneficial  to 
Germans  and  to  all  other  men.  That  noble,  patient,  deep,  and  solid 
Germany  should  be  at  length  welded  into  a  nation  and  become  Queen  of 
the  Continent,  instead  of  vapouring,  vain-glorious,  gesticulating,  quarrel- 
some, restless  and  over-sensitive  France,  seems  to  me  the  hopefullest 
public  fact  that  has  occurred  in  my  time." — The  Translator. 


38o  THE  COSMOPOLITAN  REPUBLICANS    [Dec.  12,  1870 

plished  in  Europe,  and  all  our  traditions  have  suddenly- 
become  antiquated.  No  one  can  pretend  to  predict  the 
relations  of  the  Great  Powers ;  but  it  is  not  very 
difficult  to  forecast  in  a  general  way  the  political 
tendencies  of  the  time  on  which  we  are  about  to  enter. 
There  will  be  a  powerful  united  Germany,  presided  over 
by  a  family  which  represents  not  only  its  interests,  but 
its  military  fame.  On  the  one  side  will  be  Russia, 
strong  and  watchful  as  ever  ;  but  on  the  other  side  will 
be  France,  which,  whether  patient  under  her  reverses 
or  burning  for  revenge,  will  be  for  a  time  incapable  of 
playing  that  great  part  in  Europe  which  belonged  to 
her  even  under  the  feebleness  of  the  Restoration.  Thus, 
whereas  we  had  formerly  two  strong  centralised  military 
empires,  with  a  distracted,  unready  nation  between 
them,  which  might  be  ground  to  powder  whenever  the 
two  closed  to  crush  it,  there  is  now  a  firm  barrier 
erected  in  Central  Europe,  and  the  fabric  is  correspond- 
ingly strengthened.  In  this  the  policy  of  past  genera- 
tions of  English  statesmen  is  fulfilled.  They  all  desired 
the  creation  of  a  strong  Central  Power,  and  laboured 
for  it  in  peace  and  war  by  negotiations  and  alliances, 
now  with  the  Empire,  now  with  the  new  State  which 
had  arisen  in  the  North." 

On  the  instructions  of  the  Chief,  I  also  wrote  a 
paragraph  for  the  press  to  the  effect  that  we  are  no 
longer  opposed  by  France,  but  rather  by  the  cosmo- 
politan Red  Republicans,  Garibaldi  and  Mazzini  (who 
are  with  Gambetta,  and  act  as  his  counsellors),  and 
Polish,  Spanish,  and  Danish  adherents  of  that  party. 
The  aims  of  these  good  people  are  indicated  in  a  letter 
from  the  son  of  the  Prefect  Ordinaire,  who  describes 
himself  as  an  officer  in  Garibaldi's  General  Staff".  This 
letter,  which   is   dated    from   Autun   on  the    16th  of 


Dec.  12,  i87o]  FRENCH  RAVINGS  381 

November,  and  addressed  to  the  editor  of  the  news- 
paper Droits  de  VHomme,  contains  the  following 
passage  : — 

"  You  will  see  from  the  post-mark  where  we  are 
now  stationed — in  one  of  the  most  priest-ridden  towns 
of  France.  It  is  the  centre  of  monarchical  reaction.  It 
looks  less  like  a  town  than  an  enormous  monastery, 
huge  black  walls  and  barred  windows,  behind  which 
monks  of  all  colours  intrigue  and  pray  in  darkness  and 
silence  for  the  success  of  the  good  cause.  In  the  streets 
our  red  shirts  are  constantly  brushing  against  the  black 
cassock  of  the  priest.  The  whole  population,  from  the 
tradespeople  downwards,  present  a  mystic  aspect,  and 
appear  as  if  they  had  been  all  drenched  in  holy  water. 
We  are  regarded  here  as  if  we  had  been  inscribed  upon 
the  Index,  and  the  calumnies  that  are  rained  upon  us 
rival  the  deluge.  A  breach  of  discipline  (which  is 
unavoidable  in  the  case  of  a  volunteer  army)  is 
immediately  exaggerated  into  a  great  crime.  Trifles  are 
transformed  into  outrages  that  deserve  to  be  punished 
by  death.  The  mountain  frequently  gives  birth  to  a 
mere  mouse,  but  the  bad  impression  produced  upon  the 
public  mind  remains. 

"  Would  you  believe  it  ?  The  officials  themselves 
put  difficulties  in  our  way  !  They  echo,  I  hope  un- 
wittingly, the  calumnies  that  are  circulated  against  us, 
and  regard  us  with  evident  ill  will.  Indeed,  our  fellow 
citizens  are  almost  inclined  to  look  upon  our  army 
as  a  band  of  brigands.  Can  you  imagine  that  the 
monarchists  have  not  in  the  least  renounced  their  mis- 
chievous endeavours,  and  hate  us  because  we  have  sworn 
never  to  permit  the  re-erection  of  those  mountebank 
stages  from  which  kings  and  emperors  have  ordered 
nations  as  the  humour  took  them  ?     Yes,  we  proclaim 


382  ''CITIZENS  OF  THE  WORLD''       [Dec.  12,  1870 

the  fact  aloud  that  we  are  soldiers  of  the  Eevolution, 
and  I  would  add  not  of  the  French  Revolution  alone, 
but  of  the  cosmopolitan  revolution.  Italians,  Spaniards, 
Poles,  and  Hungarians,  in  gathering  under  the  French 
flag,  clearly  understand  that  they  are  defending  the 
Universal  Republic.  The  real  nature  of  the  struggle  is 
now  evident.  It  is  a  war  between  the  principle  of  the 
divine  right  of  kings  and  of  force,  and  that  of  popular 
sovereignty,  civilisation,  and  freedom.  The  fatherland 
disappears  before  the  Republic. 

"  We  are  citizens  of  the  world,  and  whatever  may 
happen  we  will  fight  to  the  death  for  the  realisation  of 
that  noble  ideal  of  the  United  States  of  Europe,  that  is 
to  say,  the  fraternisation  of  all  free  peoples.  The 
monarchical  reactionaries  know  that,  and  so  they  re- 
inforce the  Prussian  forces  with  their  own  legions.  We 
have  the  enemies'  bayonets  in  front,  and  treason  behind 
us.  Why  is  not  every  old  official  sent  about  his  busi- 
ness ?  Why  are  not  all  the  old  generals  of  the  Empire 
ruthlessly  cashiered  ?  Cannot  the  Government  of 
National  Defence  see  that  they  are  being  betrayed,  and 
that  these  people,  with  their  hypocritical  manoeuvres, 
shameful  capitulations,  and  inexplicable  retreats  are  pre- 
paring for  a  Bonapartist  restoration,  or,  at  least,  for  the 
accession  of  an  Orleans  or  a  Bourbon  ? 

"  But  the  Government,  which  has  undertaken  the 
task  of  delivering  the  contaminated  soil  of  France  from 
foreign  hordes,  should  take  care.  In  times  like  the 
present,  and  under  the  fearful  conditions  in  which  we 
find  ourselves,  it  is  not  enough  to  be  honest.  It  is  also 
necessary  to  show  energy,  to  keep  a  cool  head,  and  not 
to  allow  one's  self  to  be  drowned  in  a  glass  of  water. 
Let  the  Cremieuxs,  the  Glais-Bizoins,  and  the  Fourichons 
remember  the  manner  in  which  the  men  of  1792  and 


Dec.  13,  1870]  CAN  BISMARCK  RESIGN?  383 

'93  acted  !  To-day  we  need  a  Danton,  a  Robespierre, 
the  men  of  the  Convention  !  Away  with  you,  gentle- 
men !  Make  room  for  the  Revolution  !  That  alone  can 
save  us.     Great  crises  demand  great  measures  1  " 

The  fatherland  disappears  before  the  Republic ! 
Resort  to  the  great  measures  adopted  by  Danton  and 
Robespierre  !  Behead  every  one  who  differs  from  us  in 
religious  and  political  affairs,  and  establish  the  guillotine 
as  a  permanent  institution.  Dismiss  Generals  Chancy 
and  Bourbaki,  Faidherbe  and  Vinoy,  Ducrot  and  Trochu, 
and  appoint  private  soldiers  in  their  place.  That  is  the 
gospel  preached  by  the  son  of  a  Prefect  in  the  depart- 
ment of  Doubs,  an  officer  of  Garibaldi's  General  Staff. 
I  wonder  whether  these  proposals  will  commend  them- 
selves to  many  of  the  Versailles  people  when  they  see 
this  letter  in  the  Moniteur  one  of  these  days  ? 

Tuesday,  December  13th. — In  the  morning  wrote 
another  article  on  the  confession  of  faith  of  the  cosmo- 
politan Republicans.  The  Chief's  health  is  somewhat 
better,  only  he  feels  very  exhausted.  .  .  . 

At  lunch  Bucher,  Hatzfeldt,  and  Keudell  declared  in 
all  seriousness  that  they  thought  the  Chancellor  would 
resign.  It  was  jestingly  suggested  that  he  would  be 
followed  by  a  Ministry  under  Lasker,  who  would  be  "  a 
kind  of  Ollivier,"  and  then  half  in  joke,  half  in  earnest, 
the  possibility  was  discussed  of  our  having  for  a 
Chancellor  Delbrtick, — "  a  very  clever  man,  but  no 
politician." 

I  regarded  it  as  absolutely  inconceivable  that  the 
Chief  could  ever  be  allowed  to  resign,  even  if  he 
requested  to  be  relieved  from  office.  They  thought, 
nevertheless,  that  it  was  possible.  I  said  that  in  such 
circumstances  they  would  be  obliged  to  recall  him  in 
less   than   a   month.      Bucher   questioned   whether  he 


384    ODO  RUSSELL  AND  RUSSIAN  DEMANDS    [Dec.  13, 1870 

would  come  back,  and  said  positively  that  so  far  as  he 
knew  him,  if  the  Count  once  retired  he  would  never 
take  office  again.  He  enjoyed  himself  far  too  well  at 
Varzin,  free  from  business  and  worry  of  every  kind. 
He  liked  best  of  all  to  be  in  the  woods  and  fields.  The 
Countess  had  once  said  to  him  :  "  Believe  me,  a  turnip 
interests  him  (Bismarck)  more  than  all  your  politics." 
That  statement,  however,  must  not  be  too  hastily 
accepted,  and  must  be  limited  to  a  temporary  state  of 
feeling. 

About  1.30  P.M.  I  was  summoned  to  the  Chancellor. 
He  wished  me  to  call  attention  to  the  difficulties  of  the 
King  of  Holland  with  regard  to  a  new  Ministry,  and  to 
point  to  this  as  the  result  of  a  purely  Parliamentary 
system  under  which  the  advisers  of  the  Crown  must 
retire,  whatever  the  condition  of  affairs  may  be,  when  a 
majority  of  the  representatives  is  opposed  to  them  on 
any  question.  He  observed :  "I  remember  when  I 
became  Minister  that  there  had  been  twenty  or  twenty- 
one  Ministries  since  the  introduction  of  the  constitu- 
tional system.  If  the  principle  of  Ministers  retiring 
before  a  hostile  majority  be  too  strictly  enforced,  far  too 
many  politicians  will  be  used  up.  Then  mediocrities 
will  have  to  be  taken  for  the  post,  and  finally  there  will 
be  no  one  left  who  will  care  to  devote  himself  to  such  a 
trade.  The  moral  is  that  either  the  advantages  of  a 
Minister's  position  must  be  increased,  or  the  Parlia- 
mentary system  must  be  applied  less  stringently." 

The  Chief  went  out  for  a  drive  at  3  o'clock,  after 
Russell  had  again  called  upon  him. 

He  talked  after  dinner  about  his  negotiations  with 
Russell  and  the  demands  of  Gortschakoff.  He  said 
amongst  other  things  :  "  They  do  not  want  in  London  to 
give  an  unqualified  approval  to  the  proposal  that  the 


Dec.  13,  1870]  GERMANY  AND  RUSSIA  385 

Black  Sea  shall  be  again  given  up  to  Russia  and  the 
Turks  with  full  sovereignty  over  its  coast.  They  are 
afraid  of  public  opinion  in  England,  and  Russell  returns 
again  and  again  to  the  idea  that  some  equivalent  might 
possibly  be  found.  He  asked,  for  instance,  whether  it 
would  not  be  possible  for  us  to  join  in  the  agreement  of 
the  16th  of  April,  1856.  I  replied  that  Germany  had 
no  real  interest  in  the  matter.  Or  whether  we  would 
bind  ourselves  to  observe  neutrality  in  case  of  a  conflict 
some  day  breaking  out  there.  I  told  him  I  was  not  in 
favour  of  a  conjectural  policy,  such  as  his  suggestion 
involved.  It  would  depend  altogether  on  circumstances. 
For  the  present  we  saw  no  reason  why  we  should  take 
any  part  in  the  matter.  That  ought  to  suffice  for  him. 
Besides  I  did  not  believe  that  gratitude  had  no  place  in 
politics.  The  present  Tsar  had  always  acted  in  a  friendly 
and  benevolent  manner  towards  us.  Austria,  on  the 
other  hand,  was  up  to  the  present  little  to  be  trusted 
and  took  up  at  times  a  very  dubious  attitude.  Of 
course  he  knew  himself  how  far  we  were  indebted  to 
England.  The  friendship  of  the  Tsar  was  the  legacy  of 
old  relations,  based  partly  on  family  connections,  but 
partly  also  on  the  recognition  that  our  interests  are  not 
opposed  to  his.  We  did  not  know  what  those  relations 
would  be  in  future,  and  therefore  it  was  impossible  to 
speak  about  them.  .  .  .  Our  position  would  now  be 
different  to  what  it  was  formerly.  We  should  be  the 
only  Power  that  had  reason  to  be  satisfied  ;  we  had  no 
call  to  oblige  any  one  of  whose  willingness  to  reciprocate 
our  services  we  could  not  altogether  feel  sure.  ...  He 
returned  again  and  again  to  the  suggestion  as  to  an 
equivalent,  and  at  length  asked  me  if  I  could  not  pro  ] 
pose  something.  I  spoke  of  making  the  Dardanelles 
and   the  Black   Sea  free  to  all.      That  would   please 

VOL.  I  C  C 


386    THE  RUSSIAN  DEMANDS ''TOO  MODEST''    [Dec.  14, 1870 

Kussia,  as  she  could  then  pass  from  the  Black  Sea  into 
the  Mediterranean,  and  Turkey  also  as  she  could  have 
her  friends,  including  the  Americans,  near  her.  It 
would  remove  one  of  the  reasons  why  the  Americans 
held  with  the  Russians,  namely,  their  desire  for  free 
navigation  in  all  seas.  He  seemed  to  recognise  the 
truth  of  that."  The  Chancellor  added  :  "  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  the  Russians  should  not  have  been  so  modest  in 
their  demands.  They  ought  to  have  asked  for  more, 
and  then  the  matter  of  the  Black  Sea  would  have  been 
granted  to  them  without  any  difficulty."  Turning  to 
Abeken  the  Minister  said :  "  Write  that  to  BernstorfF 
and  also  to  Reuss  for  his  information.  In  writing  to 
the  latter,  suggest  that  in  St.  Petersburg  they  should 
try  to  find  something  harmless  that  would  look  like  an 
equivalent." 

The  conversation  then  turned  upon  the  four  new 
points  of  international  law  respecting  navigation — that 
no  privateers  should  be  fitted  out,  that  goods  should  not 
be  seized  so  far  as  they  were  not  contraband  of  war, 
and  that  a  blockade  was  only  valid  when  eff'ective,  &c. 
The  Chief  remarked  that  one  of  these  was  flagrantly 
violated  by  the  French  in  burning  a  German  ship.  He 
concluded  the  conversation  on  this  head  by  saying, 
"  We  must  see  how  we  are  to  get  rid  of  this  rubbish." 

Wednesday,  December  \Uli. — The  German  party 
of  centralisation  are  still  dissatisfied  with  the  Bavarian 
Treaty.  Treitschke  writes  me  from  Heidelberg  on  the 
subject  in  an  almost  despairing  tone  :  "  I  quite  under- 
stand that  Count  Bismarck  could  not  have  acted 
otherwise,  but  it  remains  a  very  regrettable  affair  all 
the  same.  Bavaria  has  once  more  clogged  our  feet  as 
she  did  in  1813  in  the  Treaty  of  Ried.  So  long  as  we 
have  our  leading  statesman  we  can   manage  to  move  in 


Dec.  1 4, 1 870]    THE  DEP  UTA  TION  FROM  THE  REICHS TA  G  387 

spite  of  that.  But  how  will  it  be  later  on  ?  I  cannot 
feel  that  unquestioning  confidence  in  the  vitality  of  the 
new  Empire  which  I  had  in  that  of  the  North  German 
Confederation.  I  only  hope  that  the  nation  will 
prosper,  owing  to  its  own  healthy  vigour,  in  spite  of 
constitutional  deficiencies." 

The  Chief  and  Count  Holnstein  dined  with  us. 
Politics  were  not  discussed.  The  Minister  was  very 
cheerful  and  communicative,  and  spoke  on  a  variety  of 
subjects.  He  said,  amongst  other  things,  that  as  a 
young  man  he  was  a  swift  runner  and  a  good  jumper. 
His  sons,  on  the  other  hand,  are  unusually  strong  in  the 
arms.  He  should  not  care  to  try  a  fall  with  either  of 
them. 

The  Minister  then  sent  for  the  gold  pen  that  had 
been  presented  to  him  by  Bissinger,  the  jeweller,  and 
mentioned  that  the  Countess  had  written  to  him  askinir 
about  it,  remarking  that  "  doubtless  it  was  a  lie,  like 
the  story  of  the  baby  at  Meaux."  We  now  heard  for 
the  first  time  that  a  new-born  baby,  the  child  of  one  of 
the  French  soldiers  who  had  fallen  in  one  of  the  recent 
battles,  was  supposed  to  have  been  smuggled  into  the 
Chief's  bed.  This  was,  of  course,  a  mere  newspaper 
invention. 

The  conversation  afterwards  turned  on  the  deputation 
from  the  Reichstag,  which  was  already  at  Strassburg,  and 
would  arrive  here  to-morrow.  The  Chancellor  said  : 
"  We  must  begin  to  think  what  we  are  to  reply  to  their 
address.  The  speech-making  will  be  a  real  pleasure  to 
Simson.  He  has  been  already  engaged  in  several  affairs 
of  the  kind — in  the  first  deputation  to  the  Hohcnzollern- 
burg  respecting  the  imperial  dignity.  He  makes  a  good 
speech,  loves  to  talk,  and  thoroughly  enjoys  himself  on 
such  occasions." 

0  c   2 


388  AN  ECCENTRIC  NEIGHBOUR        [Dec.  14, 1870 

Abeken  observed  that  Lowe,  the  member  of  the 
Keichstag,  said  that  he  also  had  taken  part  in  such  a 
function,  but  had  afterwards  plenty  of  opportunity  to 
think  over  the  matter  in  a  foreign  country. 

"Ah!  Was  he  also  engaged  in  the  1849  affair  ?" 
asked  the  Chief. 

"  Yes,"  said  Bucher ;  "he  was  President  of  the 
Keichstag." 

"  But,"  said  the  Chief,  "  he  need  not  have  left  his 
country  on  account  of  the  part  he  took  in  the  proposal 
as  to  the  Emperor.  It  must  have  been  because  of  his 
journey  to  Stuttgart,  which  was  quite  a  different  story." 

The  Minister  then  spoke  of  the  Hohenzollernburg, 
where  each  branch  of  the  family  had  a  special  suite  of 
apartments  ;  of  an  old  castle  in  Pomerania,  where  all 
members  of  the  family  of  Dewitz  had  a  right  to  lodgings, 
— it  was  now  reduced  to  a  picturesque  ruin,  after  having 
long  served  as  a  stone  quarry  for  the  inhabitants  of  the 
neighbouring  country  town  ;  and  afterwards  of  a  landed 
proprietor  who  had  a  singular  way  of  raising  money. 
"  He  was  always  hard  up,  and  on  one  occasion,  when  he 
was  in  desperate  straits,  his  woods  were  attacked  by 
caterpillars,  then  a  fire  broke  out,  and  finally  a  number 
of  trees  were  blown  down  by  a  gale.  He  was  miserable, 
and  thought  he  was  bankrupt.  So  the  timber  had  to  be 
sold,  and  he  suddenly  found  himself  in  possession  of  a 
lot  of  money,  fifty  or  sixty  thousand  thalers,  which  set 
him  on  his  lesfs  again.  It  had  never  occurred  to  him 
that  he  could  have  his  trees  cut  down." 

This  story  led  the  Chief  to  speak  of  another  extra- 
ordinary gentleman,  a  neighbour  of  his.  (Query,  in 
Varzin.)  "He  had  ten  or  twelve  estates,  but  was 
always  short  of  ready  money,  and  frequently  felt  a 
desire  to  spend  some.     When  he  wished  to  invite  some 


Dec.  15,  i87o]        BISMARCK'S  '' YOUNGSTERS"  389 

people,  to  a  decent  lunch  he  usually  sold  an  estate,  so 
that  at  length  he  had  only  one  or  two  left.  Some  of  his 
own  tenants  bought  one  of  the  former  lot  from  him  for 
35,000  thalers,  paying  him  5,000  thalers  down.  They 
then  sold  a  quantity  of  timber  for  shipbuilding  purposes, 
for  22,000  thalers,  an  idea  which,  of  course,  had  never 
occurred  to  him." 

The  Minister  then  referred  to  the  Hartschiere  (big 
tall  men,  chosen  for  the  Royal  Body  Guard  on  account 
of  their  size)  in  Munich,  who  made  a  great  impression 
upon  him  owing  to  their  bulk  and  general  character,  and 
who  are  understood  to  be  excellent  connoisseurs  of  beer. 

Finally  it  was  mentioned  that  Count  Bill  was  the  first 
German  to  ride  into  Rouen.  Somebody  remarked  that 
his  appearance  would  have  convinced  the  inhabitants  of 
that  city  that  our  troops  had  not  up  to  the  present  been 
put  on  short  rations.  This  led  the  Chancellor  to  speak 
again  of  the  strength  of  his  "  youngsters."  "  They  are 
unusually  strong  for  their  age,"  he  said,  "  although  they 
have  not  learnt  gymnastics — very  much  against  my 
desire,  but  it  is  not  considered  the  proper  thing  for  the 
sons  of  a  diplomatist." 

While  enjoying  his  after  dinner  cigar  the  Chief  asked 
if  the  members  of  his  staff  were  smokers.  Yes,  every 
one  of  them,  Abeken  replied.  "  Well,  then,"  said  the 
Minister,  "Engel  must  divide  the  Hamburg  cigars 
amongst  them,  I  have  received  so  many  that  if  the  war 
were  to  last  for  twelve  months  I  should  still  bring  some 
home  with  me," 

Thursday,  December  15  th. — Count  Frankenberg 
and  Count  Lehndorif  joined  us  at  dinner,  Prince  Pless 
coming  in  half  an  hour  later.  The  Chief  was  in  high 
spirits  and  very  talkative.  The  conversation  at  first 
turned  on  the  question  of  the  day,  that  is  to  say,  the 


390  BAD  S  TA  GE  MAN  A  CEMENT       [Dec.  1 5, 1 870 

commencement  of  the  bombardment.  The  Minister 
said  it  might  l)e  expected  within  the  next  eight  or  ten 
days.  It  woukl  possibly  not  be  very  successful  during 
the  first  weeks,  as  the  Parisians  had  had  time  to  take 
precautions  against  it.  Frankenberg  said  that  in  Berlin, 
and  particularly  in  the  Keichstag,  no  subject  was  so 
much  discussed  as  the  reasons  why  the  bombardment 
had  been  postponed  up  to  the  present.  Everything 
else  gave  way  to  that.  The  Chief  replied  ;  "  Yes,  l)ut 
now  that  Roon  has  taken  the  matter  in  hand  somethins; 
will  be  done.  A  thousand  ammunition  waggons  with 
the  necessary  teams  are  on  their  way  here,  and  it  is 
said  that  some  of  the  new  mortars  have  arrived.  Now 
that  Roon  has  taken  it  up  something  will  at  last  be  done." 
The  manner  in  which  the  restoration  of  the  imperial 
dignity  in  Germany  had  been  brought  before  the 
Reichstag  was  then  discussed,  and  Frankenberg  as  well 
as  Prince  Pless  were  of  opinion  that  it  might  have  been 
better  managed.  The  Conservatives  had  not  been 
informed  beforehand,  and  the  statement  was  actually 
made  when  they  were  sitting  at  lunch.  To  all  appear- 
ance Windthorst  was  not  wrong  when,  with  his  usual 
dexterity  in  seizing  his  opportunities,  he  remarked  that 
he  had  expected  more  sympathy  from  the  Assembly. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Chief,  "  there  ought  to  have  been  a 
better  stage  naanager  for  the  farce.  It  should  have 
had  a  more  effective  mise-en-scene, — but  Delbrtick 
does  not  understand  that  sort  of  thing.  Some  one 
should  have  got  up  to  express  his  dissatisfaction  with 
the  Bavarian  Treaties,  which  lacked  this,  that,  and  the 
other.  Then  he  should  have  said  :  '  If,  however,  an 
equivalent  were  found  to  compensate  for  these  defects, 
something  in  which  the  unity  of  the  nation  would  find 
expression,    that    would    be   different,' — and    then   the 


Dec.  15,  i87o]    DELBRUCK  THE  '' LIBERAL  MINISTER"     391 

Emperor  should  have  been  brought  forward."  .  .  . 
"  Moreover,  the  Emperor  is  more  important  than  many 
people  think.  I  could  not  tell  them  (that  is  to  say,  the 
Princes)  what  it  all  means — if  I  had,  I  certainly  should 
not  have  succeeded.  ...  I  admit  that  the  Bavarian 
Treaty  has  defects  and  deficiencies.  That  is,  however, 
easily  said  when  one  is  not  responsible.  How  would  it 
have  been,  then,  if  I  had  refused  to  make  concessions 
and  no  treaty  had  been  concluded  ?  It  is  impossible  to 
conceive  all  the  difficulties  that  would  have  resulted 
from  such  a  failure,  and  for  that  reason  I  was  in  mortal 
anxiety  over  the  easy  unconcern  of  centralising  gentle- 
men in  the  Diet." ..."  Last  night,  after  a  long  interval, 
I  had  again  a  couple  of  hours  of  good  deep  sleep.  At 
first  1  could  not  get  ofl'  to  sleep,  worrying  [and  ponder- 
ing over  all  sorts  of  things.  Then  suddenly  I  saw 
Varzin  before  me,  quite  distinctly  to  the  smallest  detail 
like  a  big  picture,  with  all  the  colours  even — green 
trees,  the  sunshine  on  the  stems  and  a  blue  sky  above 
it  all.  I  saw  each  single  tree.  I  tried  to  get  rid  of  it, 
but  it  came  back  and  tormented  me,  and  at  length 
when  it  faded  away  it  was  replaced  by  other  pictures, 
documents,  notes,  despatches,  until  at  last  towards 
morning  I  fell  asleep." 

Whilst  Bucher  and  myself  were  alone  at  tea,  he 
told  me  that  Delbriick,  who  is  the  "  Liberal  Minister," 
holds  with  the  Liberals  and  is  "  thinking  of  the 
future."  "At  an  early  stage  of  his  career  the  Chief 
offered  him  the  Ministry  of  Commerce.  Delbriick 
declined  it,  saying :  '  Yes,  Excellency,  but  you  may  not 
remain  long  yourself,  and  I  should  prefer  not  to  accept 
it.  AVhat  should  I  do  if  you  retired  ?  I  should  be 
obliged  to  go  too  and  renounce  official  life,  and  of 
course  that  would  not  do.' " 


CHAPTER  XV 

CHAUDORDY  AND    THE   TRUTH— OFFICERS    OF  BAD  FAITH — 

FRENCH    GARBLING THE  CROWN    PRINCE   DINES   WITH 

THE  CHIEF. 

Friday,  December  16th. — In  the  moriiing  I  wrote 
several  articles  on  M.  de  Chaudordy's  circular  as  to  the 
barbarity  with  which  we  are  alleged  to  conduct  the  war. 
They  were  to  the  following  effect.  In  addition  to  the 
calumnies  that  have  been  circulated  for  months  past  by 
the  French  press  with  the  object  of  exciting  public 
opinion  against  us,  a  document  has  now  been  issued  by 
the  Provisional  Government  itself  for  the  purpose  of  pre- 
judicing foreign  Courts  and  Cabinets  by  means  of  garbled 
and  exaggerated  accounts  of  our  conduct  in  the  present 
war.  An  official  of  the  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs  at 
Tours,  M.  de  Chaudordy,  impeaches  us  in  a  circular  to 
the  neutral  Powers.  Let  us  consider  the  main  points  in 
his  statement  and  see  how  the  matter  stands  in  reality, 
and  who  can  be  justly  charged  with  barbarous  methods 
of  warfare,  ourselves  or  the  French. 

He  asserts  that  we  make  excessive  requisitions,  and 
abuse  our  power  in  the  occuj)ied  towns  and  districts  to 
extort  impossible  contributions.  We  are  further  stated 
to  have  seized  private  property,  and  to  have  cruelly 
burnt  down  towns  and  villages,  whose  inhabitants  have 


Dec.  16, 1870]     GERMAN  METHODS  OF  WARFARE  393 

offered  resistance,  or  have  in  any  way  assisted  in  the 
defence  of  their  country.  Our  accuser  says  :  "  Command- 
ing officers  have  ordered  a  town  to  be  plundered  and 
burnt  down  as  a  punishment  for  the  acts  of  individual 
citizens  whose  sole  crime  consisted  in  resisting  the  inva- 
ders, thus  misusing  the  inexorable  discipline  imposed 
upon  their  troops.  Every  house  in  which  a  franctireur 
had  been  concealed,  or  received  a  meal,  has  been  burnt 
down.  How  can  this  be  reconciled  with  respect  for 
private  property  %  "  The  circular  states  that  in  firing  upon 
open  towns  we  have  introduced  a  procedure  hitherto  un- 
exampled in  war.  Finally,  in  addition  to  all  our  other 
cruelties,  we  take  hostages  with  us  on  railway  journeys 
to  secure  ourselves  against  the  removal  of  the  rails  and 
other  injuries  and  dangers. 

In  reply  to  these  charges  we  offer  the  following  ob- 
servations. If  M.  de  Chaudordy  understood  anything 
about  war,  he  would  not  complain  of  the  sacrifices  which 
our  operations  have  imposed  upon  the  French  people, 
but  would,  on  the  contrary,  be  surprised  at  our  relative 
moderation.  Moreover,  the  German  troops  respect 
private  property  everywhere,  although  they  can  certainly 
not  be  expected,  after  long  marches  and  severe  fighting, 
and  after  enduring  cold  and  hunger,  to  refrain  from 
securing  as  comfortable  quarters  as  possible,  or  from  de- 
manding, or,  if  the  inhabitants  have  fled,  helping  them- 
selves to  absolute  necessaries  such  as  food,  drink,  firing, 
&c.  Moreover,  instead  of  seizing  private  property,  as  M. 
de  Chaudordy  asserts,  our  soldiers  have  frequently  done 
the  reverse,  and  at  the  risk  of  their  own  lives,  rescued 
for  the  owners  works  of  art  and  other  valuables  which 
were  endangered  by  the  fire  of  the  French  guns.  We 
have  burnt  down  villages,  but  does  our  accuser  know 
nothing  of  our  reasons  for  doing  so  ?     Is  he  not  aware 


394  FRENCH  BARBARITY  [Dec.  i6, 1870 

that  in  those  villages  franctireurs  have  treacherously  fired 
upon  our  })eople,  and  that  the  inhabitants  have  given 
every  possible  assistance  to  the  murderers  ?  Has  he 
heard  nothing  of  the  franctireurs  who  recently  left 
Fontaines,  and  who  boldly  stated  that  the  object  of  their 
march  was  to  inspect  the  houses  in  the  neighbourhood 
which  were  worth  pillaging  ?  Can  he  bring  forward  a 
single  well-established  case  of  outrage  committed  by  our 
soldiers  such  as  those  of  which  the  Turcos  and  French 
guerillas  have  been  guilty  ?  Have  our  troops  cut  off  the 
noses  or  ears  of  their  wounded  or  dead  opponents,  as  the 
French  did  at  Coulours  on  the  30th  of  November  ?  On 
the  11th  of  December,  when  800  German  prisoners  should 
have  been  brought  into  Lille,  only  200  of  them  actually 
arrived.  Many  of  these  were  severely  wounded,  yet  in- 
stead of  affording  them  succour,  the  people  of  the  town 
pelted  them  with  snowballs,  and  shouted  to  the  soldiers 
to  bayonet  them.  The  frequency  with  which  the  French 
have  fired  at  the  bearers  of  flags  of  truce  is  something 
unheard  of.  There  is  good  evidence  for  the  truth  of  the 
following  incident,  however  incredible  it  may  appear. 
On  the  2nd  of  December,  a  German  sergeant  named 
Steinmetz,  at  the  express  desire  of  an  ofiicer  of  the 
Garibaldian  troops,  wrote  a  letter  to  his  lieutenant  in 
Mirecourt,  stating  that  if  our  side  took  rej)risals  against 
Vittel  or  other  places  in  the  neighbourhood,  the  ears  of 
fourteen  Prussian  prisoners,  who  had  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  the  guerillas  in  a  surprise  attack,  would  be 
cut  off. 

In  many  instances  we  have  not  treated  those 
volunteers  as  soldiers,  but  that  was  only  in  cases  where 
they  did  not  act  as  soldiers,  but  on  the  contrary, 
followed  the  principles  recommended  by  the  Prefect, 
Luce  Villard,  in    the  address  issued    by    him   through 


Dec.  1 6, 1870]    FRANCTIREURS  AND  HOSTAGES  395 

the  Maires  to  the  peasants  of  the  Cote  d'Or  depart- 
ment. M.  Villiard  said  :  "  The  country  does  not  de- 
mand that  you  shoukl  collect  in  large  masses  and  openly 
oppose  the  enemy.  It  expects  that  every  morning  three 
or  four  resolute  men  amongst  you  shall  leave  your  villages 
and  select  some  good  natural  position  from  which  you 
can  fire  upon  the  Prussians  without  risk.  You  must 
above  all  direct  you  fire  against  the  enemy's  cavalry, 
and  bring  their  horses  in  to  the  chief  district  towns.  I 
will  distribute  premiums  amongst  you,  and  your  heroic 
deeds  shall  be  published  in  all  the  newspapers  of  the 
Provinces  as  well  as  in  the  Official  Journal. 

We  have  bombarded  open  cities,  such  as  Orleans,  but 
is  M.  de  Chaudordy  not  aware  that  they  were  occupied 
by  the  enemy  ?  And  has  he  forgotten  that  the  French 
bombarded  the  open  towns  of  Saarbriicken  and  Kehl  ? 
Finally,  as  to  the  hostages  who  were  obliged  to  accom- 
pany the  railway  trains,  they  were  taken  not  to  serve  as 
a  hindrance  to  French  heroism,  but  as  a  precaution 
against  treacherous  crime.  The  railway  does  not  convey 
merely  soldiers,  arms,  ammunition  and  other  war 
material,  against  which  it  may  be  allowable  to  use 
violent  measures  :  it  also  conveys  great  numbers  of 
wounded,  doctors,  hospital  attendants  and  other  per- 
fectly harmless  persons.  Is  a  peasant  or  a  franctireur 
to  be  allow^ed  to  endanger  hundreds  of  those  lives  by 
removing  a  rail  or  laying  a  stone  upon  the  line  ?  Let 
the  French  see  that  the  security  of  the  railway  trains  is 
no  longer  threatened  and  the  journeys  made  by  those 
hostages  will  be  merely  outings,  or  our  people  may  even 
be  able  to  forgo  such  precautionary  measures.  We 
forbear  to  deal  any  further  with  the  charges  of  M.  de 
Chaudordy.  The  European  Cabinets  are  aware  of  the 
humane  sentiments  which  inspire  German  methods  of 


396  PARTICULARISTS  IN  BA  VARIA      [Dec.  i6, 1870 

warfare,  and  they  will  easily  be  able  to  form  a  just 
estimate  of  the  value  of  these  charges.  War,  moreover, 
is  and  remains  war,  and  it  cannot  be  waged  with  velvet 
gloves.  We  should  perhaps  less  frequently  employ  the 
iron  gloves  if  the  Government  of  National  Defence  had 
not  declared  a  people's  war,  which  invariably  leads  to 
greater  harshness  than  a  conflict  between  regular 
armies. 

Bohlen,  who  is  still  unwell,  Hatzfeldt,  who  is  indis- 
posed, and  Keudellj  who  received  a  command  to  dine 
with  the  King,  were  absent  from  dinner.  Count 
Holnstein  and  Prince  Putbus  were  present  as  guests. 
The  first  subject  to  be  touched  upon  was  the  Bavarian 
Treaty,  which  Holnstein  expected  would  be  approved  of 
by  the  second  Bavarian  Chamber,  in  which  a  two-thirds 
majority  was  necessary.  It  was  already  known  that 
there  were  only  some  forty  members  opposed  to  it.  It 
was  also  practically  certain  that  it  would  not  be  rejected 
by  the  Upper  House. 

"  Thuengen  will  doubtless  be  in  favour  of  it," 
observed  the  Chief. 

"  I  believe  so,"  replied  Holnstein,  "  as  he  also  voted 
in  fjivour  of  joining  in  the  war." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Minister,  "  he  is  one  of  the  honest 
Particularists ;  but  there  are  some  who  are  not  honest 
and  who  have  other  objects  in  view." 

**  Certainly,"  added  Holnstein.  "  Some  of  the  patriots 
showed  that  quite  clearly.  They  omitted  the  words, 
'  For  King  and  Country,'  retaining  only  '  Mit  Gott.'  " 

Putbus  then  referred  to  the  approaching  holidays, 
and  said  it  would  be  a  good  idea  to  give  the  people  in  the 
hospital  a  Christmas  tree.  A  collection  had  been  started 
for  that  purpose,  and  2,500  francs  had  already  been 
received.     "Pless  and  I  put  down  our  names,"  he  said. 


Dec.  i6, 1870]    PENAL  SERVITUDE  FOR  DUCROT  397 

"  The  subscription  list  was  then  laid  before  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Weimar,  and  he  gave  300  francs ;  and  the 
Coburger,  who  was  then  attacked,  gave  200.  He  would 
certainly  have  been  glad  to  get  out  of  it.  He  should  at 
least  have  contrived  not  to  give  more  than  Weimar  or 
less  than  Pless."  "  It  must  certainly  have  been  very 
disagreeable  to  him,"  said  the  Minister.  Putbus  :  "  But 
why  ?  He  is  a  rich  man  !  "  The  Chief  :  "  Very  rich  !  " 
Putbus  :  "  Why,  certainly,  he  has  come  in  for  an  enor- 
mous forest  which  is  worth  over  a  million.'  The  Chief : 
"  The  Crown  Princess  secured  that  for  him  through  all 
sorts  of  stratagems,  which  she  also  tried  on  with  me. 
But  I  have  done  with  him.  He  shall  never  get  my  sig- 
nature again."  Putbus  :  "  Besides,  200  francs  !  He  ought 
not  to  feel  it  so  much.  It  is  not  much  more  than  fifty 
thalers.  But  it  is  just  like  him  !  "  Putbus  then  said 
they  intended  to  submit  the  list  of  subscriptions  to  his 
Majesty,  whereupon  the  Chief  remarked :  "  Then  you 
will  also  allow  me  to  join."  Putbus  afterwards  added  that 
Weimar  had  "  not  shown  himself  over-generous  in  other 
matters.  He  established  an  ambulance  for  his  regiment, 
where  a  couple  of  officers  are  now  being  cared  for.  He 
demanded  payment  for  their  keep  from  the  Com- 
mandant, which  of  course  only  the  doctors  are  entitled 
to  do."  "  But  surely  they  have  not  given  it  to  him  ?  " 
said  the  Chief.  Putbus  :  "  Oh,  yes  ;  they  have  though, 
but  not  without  making  some  remarks  on  the  subject 
that  led  to  a  great  deal  of  bad  language  on  his  part." 

It  was  then  mentioned  that  a  French  balloon  had 
fallen  down  near  Wetzlar  and  that  Ducrot  was  said  to 
be  in  it.  "  I  suppose  he  will  be  shot  then,"  said  Putbus. 
"  No,"  replied  the  Chief.  "  The  common  jail.  Ten 
years'  penal  servitude.  If  he  is  brought  before  a  court- 
martial  nothing  will  happen  to  him.     But  a  Council  of 


398  THE  NEW  FRENCH  LOAN  [Dec.  i6,  1870 

Honour  would  certainly  condemn  him.  So  I  have  been 
told  by  officers. " 

"  Any  other  news  on  military  matters  ? "  asked 
Putbus. 

"  Perhaps  at  the  General  Staff,"  replied  the  Minister, 
"  but  we  know  nothing  here.  We  only  get  such  infor- 
mation as  can  be  obtained  by  dint  of  begging,  and  that 
is  little  enough." 

Later  on  it  was  stated  that  the  Government  of 
National  Defence  was  thinking  of  contracting  a  new 
loan.  Turning  to  me,  the  Minister  said  :  *'  It  may  be 
useful  to  call  attention  in  the  press  to  the  danger 
investors  run  in  lending  money  to  this  Government.  It 
would  be  well  to  say  that  the  loans  made  to  the  present 
Government  might  possibly  not  be  recognised  by  that 
with  which  we  concluded  peace,  and  that  we  might  even 
make  that  one  of  the  conditions  of  the  peace.  That 
should  be  sent  to  the  English  and  Belgian  press  in 
particular." 

Lowinsohn  mentioned  to  me  in  the  evening  that  a 
Conservative  of  high  position,  from  whom  he  sometimes 
obtained  information,  had  said  to  him  that  his  friends 
were  anxious  to  know  what  the  King  was  going  to  say 
to  the  deputation  from  the  Reichstag.  It  was  under- 
stood that  he  was  not  pleased  at  their  coming,  as  only 
the  first  Reichstag  which  would  represent  all  Germany, 
and  not  the  North  German  Reichstag,  could  tender  him 
the  imperial  crown.  (Doubtless  the  King  is  thinking 
less  of  the  Reichstag,  which  cannot  proffer  him  the 
imperial  dignity  independently,  but  only  in  concert  with 
the  Princes  in  the  name  of  the  whole  people,  than  of 
the  Princes  themselves,  all  of  whom  will  not  as  yet  have 
replied  to  the  proposal  of  the  King  of  Bavaria.) 
Furthermore,  this  Conservative  of  high  position  would 


Dec.  i6, 1870]        A    WARNING  TO  INVESTORS  399 

prefer  to  see  tlie  King  become  Emperor  of  Prussia.  (A 
matter  of  taste.)  Under  the  other  arrangement  Prussia 
will  be  lost  in  Germany,  and  that  arouses  scruples  in  his 
mind.  Lowinsohn  also  reported  that  the  Crown  Prince 
is  very  indignant  at  certain  correspondents  who  com- 
pared Chateaudun  to  Pompeii,  and  drew  lively  pictures 
of  the  devastation  of  the  country  owing  to  the  war.  I 
suggested  to  Lowinsohn  that  he  should  deal  with  the 
subject  of  the  new  French  loan  and  that  of  "  Chaudordy 
and  Garibaldi's  ear-clippers"  in  the  Indej^endance 
Beige,  with  which  he  is  connected.  He  promised  to  do 
this  to-morrow. 

An  article  for  the  Koliiische  Zeitung  on  the  new 
French  loan  was  accordingly  despatched  in  the  follow- 
ing form  : — 

"  Yet  another  loan  !  With  wicked  unconcern  the 
gentlemen  who  now  preside  over  the  fortunes  of  France 
and  who  are  plunging  her  deeper  and  deeper  into  moral 
and  material  ruin,  are  also  trying  to  exploit  foreign 
countries.  This  was  to  be  anticipated  for  some  time 
past,  and  we  are  therefore  not  surprised  at  it.  We 
would,  however,  call  the  attention  of  the  financial  world 
to  the  very  obvious  dangers  accompanying  the  advan- 
tages which  will  be  offered  to  them.  We  will  indicate 
them  in  a  few  words,  in  order  to  make  the  matter  clear. 
High  interest  and  a  low  rate  of  issue  may  be  very 
tempting.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Government 
which  makes  this  loan  is  recognised  neither  by  the 
whole  of  France  nor  by  a  single  European  Power. 
Moreover,  it  should  be  remembered  that  we  have  already 
stated  our  intention  that  measures  would  be  taken  to 
prevent  the  repayment  of  certain  Joans  which  French 
municipalities  tried  to  raise  for  the  purposes  of  the  war. 
We  imagine    that    is    a  sufficient   hint  that  the  same 


400  THE  REICHSTAG  DEPUTATION     [Dec.  17, 1870 

principle  might  be  applied  on  a  larger  scale.  The 
French  Government  which  concludes  peace  with  Prussia 
and  her  allies  (and  that  will  presumably  not  be  the 
present  Government)  will  in  all  probability  be  bound, 
among  other  conditions  of  peace,  not  to  recognise  as 
binding  the  engagements  for  payment  of  interest  and 
redemption  of  loans  made  by  MM.  Gambetta  and  Favre. 
The  Government  referred  to  will  unquestionably  have 
the  right  to  do  this,  as  those  gentlemen,  although  it  is 
true  they  speak  in  the  name  of  France,  have  received 
no  mission  and  no  authority  from  the  country.  People 
should  therefore  be  on  their  guard." 

Wollmann  came  up  to  me  after  1 0  o'clock,  and  said 
that  the  deputation  from  the  Eeichstag  had  arrived. 
Their  chairman,  Simson,  was  now  with  the  Chief,  who 
would  doubtless  inform  him  of  the  King's  disinclination 
to  receive  them  before  all  the  Princes  had  sent  letters 
declaring  their  approval.  These  letters  would  go  first  to 
the  King  of  Bavaria,  who  would  afterwards  send  them  to 
our  King.  All  the  Princes  had  already  telegraphed 
their  approval — only  Lippe  still  appeared  to  entertain 
scruples.  Probably  in  consequence  of  this  postponement 
it  will  be  necessary  for  a  few  members  of  the  deputation 
to  fall  ill. 

Saturday,  December  17 th. — In  the  course  of  the 
forenoon  I  wrote  a  second  paragraph  on  the  new  French 
loan. 

In  the  afternoon  wrote  another  article  on  the  ever- 
increasing  instances  of  French  officers  breaking  their 
parole  and  absconding  from  the  places  where  they  were 
interned,  and  returning  to  France  to  take  service  against 
us  again.  Over  fifty  of  these  cases  have  occurred  up  to 
the  present.  They  include  officers  of  all  ranks,  and  even 
three  generals — namely,  Ducrot,  Cambriel,  and  Barral. 


Dec.  17, 1870]     FRENCH  BREACHES  OF  PAROLE  401 

After  the  battle  of"  Sedan  we  could  have  rendered  the 
army  that  was  shut  up  in  that  fortress  harmless  by 
destroying  it.  Humanity,  however,  and  faith  in  their 
pledged  word  induced  us  to  forgo  that  measure.  The 
capitulation  was  granted,  and  we  were  justified  in  con- 
sidering that  all  the  officers  had  agreed  to  its  terms  and 
were  prepared  to  fulfil  the  conditions  which  it  imposed. 
If  that  was  not  the  case  we  ought  to  have  been  informed 
of  the  fact.  We  should  then  have  treated  those  excep- 
tions in  an  exceptional  way,  that  is  to  say,  not  accorded 
to  the  officers  in  question  the  same  treatment  that  was 
granted  to  the  others.  In  other  words,  they  would  not 
have  been  allowed  the  liberty  which  they  have  now 
abused  in  such  a  disgraceful  manner.  It  is  true  that 
the  great  majority  of  the  captive  officers  have  kept 
their  word,  and  one  might  therefore  have  dismissed  the 
matter  with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders.  But  the  afiair 
assumes  another  aspect  when  the  French  Provisional 
Government  approves  this  breach  of  their  pledged  word 
by  reappointing  such  officers  to  the  regiments  that  are 
opposing  us  in  the  field.  Has  there  been  a  single  case 
in  which  one  of  these  deserters  was  refused  readmission 
to  the  ranks  of  the  French  army  ?  Or  have  any  French 
officers  protested  against  the  readmission  of  such  com- 
rades into  their  corps  ?  It  is,  therefore,  not  the 
Government  alone,  but  also  the  officers  of  France,  who 
consider  this  disgraceful  conduct  to  be  correct.  The 
consequence,  however,  will  be  that  the  German  Govern- 
ments will  feel  bound  in  duty  to  consider  whether  the 
alleviation  of  their  imprisonment  hitherto  accorded  to 
French  officers  is  consistent  with  the  interests  of  Ger- 
many. And  further,  we  must  ask  ourselves  the  question 
whether  we  shall  be  justified  in  placing  confidence  in 
any  of  the  promises  of  the  present  French  Government 

VOL.    I  D   D 


402      THE  CRO  WN  PRINCE  AND  THE  BOMBARDMENT 

when  it  wants  to  treat  with  Germany,  without  material 
guarantees  and  pledges. 

We  were  joined  at  dinner  by  Herr  Arnim-Krochlen- 
dorfF,  a  brother-in-law  of  the  Chief,  a  gentleman  of 
energetic  aspect,  and  apparently  a  little  over  fifty.  The 
Minister  was  in  very  good  humour,  but  the  conversation 
this  time  was  not  particularly  interesting.  It  chiefly 
turned  upon  the  bombardment,  and  the  attitude  assumed 
towards  that  question  by  a  certain  party  at  headquarters. 
Arnim  related  that  when  Gravenitz  spoke  to  the  Crown 
Prince  on  the  matter,  the  latter  exclaimed  :  "  Impossible  I 
nothing  to  be  done  ;  it  would  be  to  no  purpose,"  and 
when  Gravenitz  ventured  to  argue  the  point,  the  Prince 
declared :  "  Well,  then,  if  you  know  better,  do  it ! 
Bombard  it  yourself !  "  To  which  Gravenitz  replied  : 
"  Your  Eoyal  Highness,  I  can  only  fire  a  feu  de  joie 
(ich  harm  nur  Victoria  schiessen)."  The  Chief  re- 
marked :  "  That  sounds  very  equivocal."  The  Crown 
Prince  told  me  the  same  thing,  viz.,  if  I  thought  the . 
bombardment  would  be  successful,  I  had  better  take 
over  the  command.  I  replied  that  I  should  like  to  very 
much — for  twenty- four  hours,  but  not  longer.  He  then 
added  in  French,  doubtless  on  account  of  the  servants  : 
"  For  I  do  not  understand  anything  about  it,  although  I 
believe  I  know  as  much  as  he  does,  for  he  has  no  great 
knowledge  of  these  matters." 

Sunday,  December  18th. — At  2  o'clock  the  Chief 
drove  ofi"  to  the  Prefecture  for  the  purpose  of  introducing 
the  deputation  of  the  Reichstag  to  the  King.  The 
Princes  residing  in  Versailles  were  in  attendance  upon  his 
Majesty.  After  2  o'clock  the  King,  accompanied  by  the 
Heir  Apparent  and  Princes  Charles  and  Adalbert,  entered 
the  reception  room  where  the  other  Princes,  the  Chancellor 
of  the  Confederation,  and  the  Generals  grouped  themselves 


Dec.19,1870]    THE  REICHSTAGS  ADDRESS  TO  THE  KING  403 

around  him.  Among  those  present  were  the  Grand  Dukes 
of  Baden,  Oldenburg  and  Weimar,  the  Dukes  of  Coburg 
and  Meiningen,  the  three  Hereditary  Grand  Dukes,  Prince 
William  of  Wiirtemberg  and  a  number  of  other  princely 
personages.  Simson  delivered  his  address  to  the  King, 
who  answered  very  much  in  the  sense  that  had  been 
anticij)ated.  A  dinner  of  eighty  covers,  which  was 
given  at  5  o'clock,  brought  the  ceremony  to  a  close. 

On  our  way  back  from  the  park  Wollmann  told  me 
that  the  Chief  had  recently  written  to  the  King 
requesting  to  be  permitted  to  take  part  in  the  councils 
of  war.  The  answer,  however,  was  that  he  had  always 
been  called  to  join  in  councils  of  a  political  nature,  as  in 
1866,  that  a  similar  course  would  also  be  followed  in 
future,  and  that  he  ought  to  be  satisfied  with  that. 
(This  story  is  probably  not  quite  correct,  for  Wollmann 
is  incapable  of  being  absolutely  accurate.) 

Monday,  December'  Idth. — I  again  wrote  calling 
attention  to  the  international  revolution  which  arrays 
its  ffuerilla  bands  and  heroes  of  the  barricades  ao^ainst 
us.  The  article  was  to  the  following  effect.  We  under- 
stood at  first  that  we  were  only  fighting  with  France,  and 
that  was  actually  the  case  up  to  Sedan.  After  the  4th 
of  September  another  power  rose  up  against  us,  namely 
the  universal  Republic,  an  international  association  of 
cosmopolitan  enthusiasts  who  dream  of  the  United 
States  of  Europe,  &c. 

In  the  afternoon  I  took  a  walk  in  the  park,  in  the 
course  of  which  I  twice  met  the  Chief  dri\dng  with  Sim- 
son,  the  President  of  the  Reichstag.  The  Minister  was 
invited  to  dine  with  the  Crown  Prince  at  7  o'clock,  but 
first  joined  our  table  for  half  an  hour.  He  spoke  of  his 
drive  with  Simson  :  "  The  last  time  he  was  here  was 
after  the  July  Revolution  in  1830.     I  thought  he  would 

D  D  2 


404  THE  EMS  DESPATCH  [Dec.  19, 1870 

be  interested  in  the  park  and  the  beautiful  views,  but  he 
showed  no  sign  of  it.  It  would  appear  that  he  has  no 
feeling  for  landscape  beauty.  There  are  man}?'  people  of 
that  kind.  So  far  as  I  am  aware,  there  are  no  Jewish 
landscape  painters,  indeed  no  Jewish  painters  at  all." 
Some  one  mentioned  the  names  of  Meyerheim  and  Bende- 
mann.  "Yes,"  the  Chief  replied,  "Meyerheim;  but  Bende- 
mann  had  only  Jewish  grandparents.  There  are  plenty  of 
Jewish  composers — Mendelssohn,  Halevy — but  painters  ! 
It  is  true  that  the  Jew  paints,  but  only  when  he  is  not 
obliged  to  earn  his  bread  thereby." 

Abeken  alluded  to  the  sermon  which  Bogge  preached 
yesterday  in  the  palace  church,  and  said  that  he  had 
made  too  much  of  the  Beichstag  deputation.  He  then 
added  some  slighting  remarks  about  the  Beichstag  in 
general.  The  Chief  replied :  *'  I  am  not  at  all  of  that 
opinion  — not  in  the  least.  They  have  just  voted  us 
another  hundred  millions,  and  in  spite  of  their  doctrin- 
aire views  they  have  adopted  the  Versailles  treaties, 
which  must  have  cost  many  of  them  a  hard  struggle.  We 
ought  to  place  that,  at  least,  to  their  credit." 

Abeken  then  talked  about  the  events  at  Ems  which 
preceded  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  and  related  that  on 
one  occasion,  after  a  certain  despatch  had  been  sent  off, 
the  King  said,  "  Well,  he  "  (Bismarck)  "  will  be  satisfied 
with  us  now  ! "  And  Abeken  added,  "  I  believe  you 
were."  "Well,"  replied  the  Chancellor,  laughing,  "you 
may  easily  be  mistaken.  That  is  to  say  I  was  quite 
satisfied  with  you.  But  not  quite  as  much  with  our 
Most  Gracious,  or  rather  not  at  all.  He  ought  to  have 
acted  in  a  more  dignified  way — and  more  resolutely." 
"  I  remember,"  he  continued,  "  how  I  received  the  news 
at  Varzin.  I  had  gone  out,  and  on  my  return  the  first 
telegram   had  been    delivered.      As   I    started  on  my 


Dec.  19, 1870]    EDITING  THE  KINGS  TELEGRAM  405 


journey  I  had  to  pass  our  pastor's  house  at  Wussow. 
He  was  standing  at  his  gate  and  saluted  me.  I  said 
nothing,  but  made  a  thrust  in  the  air — thus  "  (as  if  he 
were  making  a  thrust  with  a  sword).  "  He  understood 
me,  and  I  drove  on."  The  Minister  then  gave  some 
particulars  of  the  wavering  and  hesitation  that  went  on 
up  to  a  certain  incident,  which  altered  the  complexion  of 
things,  and  was  followed  by  the  declaration  of  war.  "  I 
expected  to  find  another  telegram  in  Berlin  answering 
mine,  but  it  had  not  arrived.  In  the  meantime  I  invited 
Moltke  and  Roon  to  dine  with  me  that  evening,  and  to 
talk  over  the  situation,  which  seemed  to  me  to  be  grow- 
ing more  and  more  unsatisfactory.  Whilst  we  were 
dining,  another  long  telegram  was  brought  in.  As  I 
read  it  to  them — it  must  have  been  about  two  hundred 
words — they  were  both  actually  terrified,  and  Moltke's 
whole  being  suddenly  changed.  He  seemed  to  be  quite 
old  and  infirm.  It  looked  as  if  our  Most  Gracious  might 
knuckle  under  after  all.  I  asked  him  (Moltke)  if,  as  things 
stood,  we  might  hope  to  be  victorious.  On  his  replying 
in  the  affirmative,  I  said,  '  Wait  a  minute  ! '  and  seating 
myself  at  a  small  table  I  boiled  down  those  two  hundred 
words  to  about  twenty,  but  without  otherwise  altering 
or  adding  anything.  It  was  Abeken's  telegram,  yet  some- 
thing difi'erent — shorter,  more  determined,  less  dubious. 
I  then  handed  it  over  to  them,  and  asked,  '  Well,  how 
does  that  do  now  ? '  '  Yes,'  they  said,  '  it  will  do  in 
that  form.'  And  Moltke  immediately  became  quite 
young  and  fresh  again.  He  had  got  his  war,  his  trade. 
And  the  thing  really  succeeded.  The  French  were  fear- 
fully angry  at  the  condensed  telegram  as  it  appeared  in 
the  newspapers,  and  a  couple  of  days  later  they  declared 
war  against  us." 

The  conversation  then  wandered  back  to  Pomerania, 


4o6  M.  UHAUSSONVILLE'S  PAMPHLET     [Dec.  20, 1870 

and  if  I  am  not  mistaken  to  Varzin,  where  the  Chief 
had,  he  said,  taken  much  interest  in  a  Piedmontese  who 
had  remained  behind  after  the  great  French  wars.  This 
man  had  raised  himself  to  a  position  of  consequence,  and 
although  originally  a  Catholic,  had  actually  become  a 
vestryman.  The  Minister  mentioned  other  people  who 
had  settled  and  prospered  in  places  where  they  had 
been  accidentally  left  behind.  There  were  also  Italians 
taken  as  prisoners  of  war  to  a  district  in  Further  Pome- 
rania,  where  they  remained  and  founded  families  whose 
marked  features  still  distinguish  them  from  their 
neighbours. 

The  Minister  did  not  return  from  the  Crown  Prince's 
until  past  ten  o'clock,  and  we  then  heard  that  the  Crown 
Prince  was  coming  to  dine  with  us  on  the  following 
evening. 

Tuesday,  December  2^tJi. — On  the  instructions  of 
the  Chief  I  wrote  two  articles  for  circulation  in 
Germany. 

The  first  was  as  follows  :  "  We  have  already  found 
it  necessary  on  several  occasions  to  correct  a  misunder- 
standing or  an  intentional  garbling  of  the  words 
addressed  by  King  William  to  the  French  people  on 
the  11th  of  August  last.  We  are  now  once  more  con- 
fronted with  the  same  attempt  to  falsify  history,  and 
to  our  surprise  in  a  publication  ]jy  an  otherwise  respect- 
able French  historian.  In  a  pamphlet  entitled  La 
France  et  la  Prusse  deva7it  VEurope,  M.  d'Hausson- 
ville  puts  forward  an  assertion  which  does  little  credit 
to  his  love  of  truth,  or  let  us  say  his  scientific  accuracy. 
The  whole  pamphlet  is  shallow  and  superficial.  It  is 
full  of  exaggerations  and  errors,  and  of  assertions  that 
have  no  more  value  than  mere  baseless  rumours.  Of 
the   gross    blunders    of   the  writer,  who    is  obviously 


Dec.  20, 1870]    A  REPLY  FOR  THE  GERMAN  PRESS  407 

blinded  by  patriotic  passion,  we  will  only  mention  that, 
according  to  him,  King  William  was  on  the  throne 
during  the  Crimean  War.  But  apart  from  this  and 
other  mistakes,  we  have  here  only  to  deal  with  his 
attempt  to  garble  the  proclamation  issued  to  the  French 
in  August  last,  which,  it  may  be  observed,  was  written 
in  French  as  well  as  in  German,  so  that  a  misunder- 
standing would  appear  to  be  out  of  the  question. 
According  to  M.  d'Haussonville  the  King  said  :  '  I  am 
only  waging  war  against  the  Emperor  and  not  at  all 
against  France.'  {Je  ne  fais  la  guerre  qu'd  VEmper- 
eur,  et  nullement  d  la  France.)  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
however,  the  document  in  question  says  :  '  The  German 
nation,  which  desired  and  still  desires  to  live  in  peace 
with  France,  having  been  attacked  at  sea  and  on  land 
by  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  I  have  taken  the  command 
of  the  German  armies  for  the  purpose  of  repelling  this 
aggression.  Owing  to  the  course  taken  by  the  military 
operations,  I  have  been  led  to  cross  the  French  frontier. 
I  wage  war  against  the  soldiers  and  not  against  the 
citizens  of  France.'  {L'Empereur  Napoleon  ay  ant 
attaque  par  terre  et  par  mer  la  7iation  allemande,  qui 
desirait  et  desire  encore  vivre  en  paix  avee  le  peuple 
fran^ais,  fai  pris  le  commandeme7it  des  armees  alle- 
mandes  pour  repousser  F agression,  et  fai  ete  amene 
par  les  evenements  militaires  d  passer  les  frontieres  de 
la  France.  Je  fais  la  guerre  aux  soldats,  et  non  aux 
citoyens  fran^ais.)  The  next  sentence  excludes  all 
possibility  of  mistake  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  fore- 
going statement :  '  They  (the  French  citizens)  will 
accordingly  continue  to  enjoy  complete  security  of 
person  and  property  so  long  as  they  themselves  do  not 
deprive  me  of  the  right  to  accord  them  my  protection 
by  acts  of  hostility  against  the  German  troops.'    {Ceux- 


4o8  TROCHU  AND  THE  ORLEANS        [Dec.  20,  1870 

c^  continueront,  par  consequent,  d  jouir  dJune  complete 
securite  pour  leur  personnes  et  leur  hiens,  aussi  long- 
temps  quils  ne  me  priveront  eux-memes  par  des  entre- 
prises  hostiles  contre  les  troupes  allemandes  du  droit 
de  leur  accorder  ma  protection.)  There  is,  in  our 
opinion,  a  very  obvious  diiference  between  d'Hausson- 
ville's  quotation  and  the  original  proclamation,  and  no 
obscurity  can  possibly  be  discovered  in  the  latter  to 
excuse  a  mistake." 

The  second  item  ran  thus  :  "  The  Delegation  from 
the  Government  of  National  Defence,  which  is  at  present 
in  Bordeaux,  has  satisfied  itself  that  further  resistance 
^to  the  German  forces  is  useless,  and  it  would,  with  the 
approval  even  of  M.  Gambetta,  be  prepared  to  conclude 
peace  on  the  basis  of  the  demands  put  forward  by 
Germany.  It  is  understood,  however,  that  General 
Trochu  has  decided  to  continue  the  war.  The  Delega- 
tion entered  into  an  engagement  from  Tours  with 
General  Trochu  not  to  negotiate  for  peace  without  his 
consent.  According  to  other  reports  General  Trochu 
has  had  provisions  for  several  months  stored  in  the 
fortress  of  Mont  Valerien,  so  that  he  may  fall  back  upon 
that  position  after  Paris  has  had  to  capitulate  with  a 
sufficient  force  to  exercise  influence  upon  the  fate  of 
France  after  the  conclusion  of  peace.  His  object,  it  is 
believed,  is  to  promote  the  interests  of  the  Orleans 
family,  of  which  General  Trochu  is  understood  to  be  an 
adherent. " 

On  my  taking  these  paragraphs  into  the  office  to 
have  them  sent  off,  Keudell  told  me  the  Chief  had 
agreed  that  henceforth  all  State  papers  received  and 
despatched  should  be  shown  to  me  if  I  asked  for  them. 

The  Crown  Prince  and  his  aide-de-camp  arrived 
shortly  after  six  o'clock.     The  former  had  on  his  shoulder 


Dec.  20, 1870]     THE  CRO  WN  PRINCE  A  T  DINNER  409 

straps  the  badges  of  liis  new  military  rank  as  field- 
marshal.  He  sat  at  the  head  of  the  table,  with  the  Chief 
on  his  right  and  Abeken  on  his  left.  After  the  soup 
the  conversation  first  turned  on  the  subject  which  I  had 
this  morning  worked  up  for  the  press,  namely,  that 
according  to  a  communication  from  Israel,  the  secretary 
of  Laurier,  who  acts  as  agent  for  the  Provisional  Govern- 
ment in  London,  Gambetta  no  longer  believed  in  the 
possibility  of  successful  resistance,  and  was  disposed  to 
conclude  peace  on  the  basis  of  our  demands.  Trochu 
was  the  only  member  of  the  Government  who  wished  to 
continue  the  struggle,  but  on  his  undertaking  the  defence 
of  Paris,  the  others  had  bound  themselves  to  act  in 
concert  with  him  in  this  respect. 

The  Chancellor  observed  :  "  He  is  understood  to  have 
had  Mont  Valerien  provisioned  for  two  months,  so  that 
he  may  fall  back  upon  that  position  with  the  regular 
troops  when  it  becomes  necessary  to  surrender  the  city 
— probably  in  order  to  influence  the  conclusion  of  peace." 
He  then  continued  :  "  Indeed,  I  believe  that  France  will 
break  up  into  several  pieces — the  country  is  already  split 
up  into  parties.  There  are  great  differences  of  opinion 
between  the  diflFerent  districts.  Legitimists  in  Brittany, 
Ked  Republicans  in  the  south,  and  Moderate  Republicans 
elsewhere,  while  the  regular  army  is  still  for  the 
Emperor,  or  at  least  the  majority  of  the  officers  are.  It 
is  possible  that  each  section  will  follow  its  own  convic- 
tions, one  being  Republican,  another  Bourbon,  and  a 
third  Orleanist,  according  to  the  party  that  happens  to 
have  the  most  adherents,  and  then  Napoleon's  people — 
tetrarchies  of  Judea,  Galilee,  &c." 

The  Crown  Prince  said  it  was  believed  that  Paris 
must  have  a  subterranean  communication  with  the  outer 
world.     The  Chief  thought  so  too,  and   added  :    "  But 


4IO  THE  KING  OF  BAVARIA  [Dec.  20,  1870 

they  cannot  get  provisions  in  that  way,  although,  of 
course,  they  can  receive  news.  I  have  been  thinking 
whether  it  might  not  be  possible  to  flood  the  catacombs 
from  the  Seine,  and  thus  inundate  the  lower  parts  of  the 
city.     Of  course  the  catacombs  go  under  the  Seine." 

The  Chief  then  said  that  if  Paris  could  be  taken 
now  it  would  produce  a  good  eff'ect  upon  public  opinion 
in  Bavaria,  whence  the  reports  were  again  unsatisfactory. 
Bray  was  not  to  be  trusted,  had  not  the  interests  of 
Germany  at  heart,  inclined  to  the  Ultramontanes,  had  a 
Neapolitan  wife,  felt  happiest  in  his  memories  of  Vienna, 
where  he  lived  for  a  long  time,  and  seemed  disposed  to 
tack  about  again.  "  The  King  is,  after  all,  the  best  of 
them  all  in  the  upper  circles,"  said  the  Chancellor,  "  but 
he  seems  to  be  in  bad  health  and  eccentric,  and  nobody 
knows  what  may  yet  happen."  "  Yes,  indeed,"  said  the 
Crown  Prince.  "  How  bright  and  handsome  he  was 
formerly — a  little  too  slight,  but  otherwise  the  very 
ideal  of  a  young  man.  Now  his  complexion  is  yellow, 
and  he  looks  old.  I  was  quite  shocked  when  I  saw  him." 
"The  last  time  I  saw  him,"  said  the  Chancellor, 
"was  at  his  mother's  at  Nymphenburg,  in  1863, 
when  the  Congress  of  Princes  was  being  held. 
Even  at  that  time  he  had  a  strange  look  in  his  eyes. 
I  remember  that,  when  dining,  he  on  one  occasion 
drank  no  wine,  and  on  another  took  eight  or  ten  glasses 
— not  at  intervals,  but  hastily,  one  glass  after  another, 
at  one  draught,  so  that  the  servant  scarcely  liked  to 
keep  on  filling  his  glass." 

The  conversation  then  turned  on  the  Bavarian 
Prince  Charles,  who  was  said  to  be  strongly  anti- 
Prussian,  but  too  old  and  feeble  to  be  very  dangerous 
to  the  cause  of  German  unity.  Some  one  remarked  : 
"  Nature  has  very  little  to  do  with  him  as  it  is."     "  That 


Dec.2o,i87o]    A  COMPLIMENT  FOR  THE  DIPLOMATS!      4" 

reminds  me  of  old  Count  Adlerberg,"  said  tlie  Minister, 
"  who  was  also  mostly  artificial — hair,  teeth,  calves,  and 
one  eye.  When  he  wanted  to  get  up  in  the  morning  all 
his  best  parts  lay  on  chairs  and  tables  near  the  bed. 
You  remember  the  newly-married  man  in  the  Fliegende 
Blatter  who  watched  his  bride  take  herself  to  pieces,  lay 
her  hair  on  the  toilet  table,  her  teeth  on  the  chimney 
piece,  and  other  fragments  elsewhere,  and  then  ex- 
claimed, '  But  what  remains  for  me  ? ' "  Moreover, 
Adlerberg,  he  went  on  to  say,  was  a  terrible  bore,  and 
it  was  owing  to  him  that  Countess  Bismarck  once  fainted 
at  a  diplomatic  dinner  where  she  was  seated  between 
him  and  Stieglitz.  "  She  always  faints  when  she  is  ex- 
ceptionally bored,  and  for  that  reason  I  never  take  her 
with  me  to  diplomatic  dinners."  "  That  is  a  pretty 
compliment  for  the  diplomats,"  observed  the  Crown 
Prince. 

The  Chief  then  related  that  one  evening,  not  long 
ago,  the  sentry  on  guard  at  the  Crown  Prince's 
quarters  did  not  want  to  let  him  go  in,  and  only 
agreed  to  do  so  on  his  addressing  him  in  Polish.  "  A 
few  days  ago  I  also  tried  to  talk  Polish  with  the  soldiers 
in  the  hospital,  and  they  brightened  up  wonderfully  on 
hearing  a  gentleman  speak  their  mother  tongue.  It  is  a 
pity  that  my  vocabulary  was  exhausted.  It  would, 
perhaps,  be  a  good  thing  if  their  commander-in-chief 
could  speak  to  them."  "There  you  are,  Bismarck, 
coming  back  to  the  old  story,"  said  the  Crown  Prince, 
smiling.  "  No,  I  don't  like  Polish  and  I  won't  learn  it. 
I  do  not  like  the  people."  "  But,  your  Royal  Highness, 
they  are,  after  all,  good  soldiers  and  honest  fellows  when 
they  have  been  taught  to  wash  themselves  and  not  to 
pilfer."  The  Crown  Prince  :  "  Yes,  but  when  they  cast 
off  the  soldier's  tunic    they  are    just  what   they  were 


412  THE  CROWN  PRINCE  UNCONVINCED    [Dec.  20, 1870 

before,  and  at  bottom  tbey  are  and  still  remain  hostile 
to  us."  The  Chief:  "As  to  their  hostility,  that  only 
applies  to  the  nobles  and  their  labourers,  and  all  that 
class.  A  noble,  who  has  nothing  himself,  feeds  a  crowd 
of  people,  servants  of  all  sorts,  who  also  belong  to  the 
minor  nobility,  although  they  act  as  his  domestics,  over- 
seers, and  clerks.  These  stand  by  him  when  he  rises  in 
rebellion,  and  also  the  Komorniks,  or  day  labourers.  .  .  . 
The  independent  peasantry  does  not  join  them,  however, 
even  when  egged  on  by  the  priests,  who  are  always 
against  us.  We  have  seen  that  in  Posen,  when  the 
Polish  regiments  had  to  be  removed  merely  because 
they  were  too  cruel  to  their  own  fellow  countrymen.  .  .  . 
I  remember  at  our  place  in  Pomerania  there  was  a 
market,  attended,  on  one  occasion,  by  a  number  of 
Kassubes  (Pomeranian  Poles).  A  quarrel  broke  out 
between  one  of  them  and  a  German,  who  refused  to  sell 
him  a  cow  because  he  was  a  Pole.  The  Kassube  was 
mortally  offended,  and  shouted  out :  '  You  say  Pm  a 
Polack.  No,  Pm  just  as  much  a  Prussack  as  yourself  ; ' 
and  then,  as  other  Germans  and  Poles  joined  in,  it  soon 
developed  into  a  beautiful  free  fight." 

The  Chief  then  added  that  the  Great  Elector  spoke 
Polish  as  well  as  German,  and  that  his  successors  also 
understood  that  language.  Frederick  the  Great  was 
the  first  who  did  not  learn  it,  but  then  he  also  spoke 
better  French  than  German.  "  That  may  be,"  said  the 
Crown  Prince,  "  but  I  am  not  going  to  learn  Polish.  I 
do  not  like  it.  They  must  learn  German."  With  this 
remark  the  subject  was  allowed  to  drop. 

At  dessert  the  Crown  Prince,  after  asking  if  he 
might  smoke  a  pipe,  pulled  out  a  short  one  with  a  porce- 
lain bowl,  on  which  an  eagle  was  painted,  while  the 
rest  of  us  lit  our  cigars. 


Dec.  20,1870]    RUSSIA  DECLINES  TO  INTERFERE  413 

After  dinner  the  Crown  Prince  and  the  Minister 
retired  with  the  Councillors  to  the  drawing-room,  where 
they  took  coffee.  Later  on  we  were  all  sent  for,  and 
formally  presented  to  the  future  Emperor  by  the  Chief. 
We  had  to  wait  for  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  while 
the  Chancellor  was  deep  in  conversation  with  the  Crown 
Prince.  His  august  guest  stood  in  the  corner  near  one 
of  the  windows.  The  Chief  spoke  to  him  in  a  low  tone, 
with  his  eyes  mostly  cast  down,  while  the  Crown  Prince 
listened  with  a  serious  and  almost  sullen  look. 

After  the  presentation  I  returned  to  the  bureau, 
where  I  read  the  diplomatic  reports  and  drafts  of  the 
last  few  days,  amongst  others  the  draft  of  the  Kino-'s 
reply  to  the  Reichstag  deputation.  This  had  been 
prepared  by  Abeken,  and  greatly  altered  by  the  Chief. 
Then  an  instruction  from  the  Minister  to  the  Foreio-n 
Office  to  the  effect  that  if  the  Provinzial  Correspondenz 
should  again  contain  a  commendation  of  Gambetta's 
energy  or  anything  of  that  kind,  every  possible  means 
should  be  immediately  employed  to  prevent  the  pub- 
lication. Also  a  report  from  Prince  Reuss  to  the  effect 
that  Gortschakoff  had  replied  in  a  negative  sense  to  a 
sentimental  communication  of  Gabriac's,  adding  that  all 
the  Russian  Cabinet  could  do  for  the  French  at  present 
was  to  act  as  letter-carrier  in  conveying  their  wishes  to 
the  Prussian  Government. 

At  tea  Hatzfeldt  told  me  he  had  been  trying  to  de- 
cipher a  Dutch  report  from  Van  Zuylen,  which  had 
been  brought  out  with  AVashburne's  mail,  and  had 
succeeded,  though  there  were  still  a  few  doubtful  points. 
He  then  showed  it  to  me,  and  together  we  contrived  to 
puzzle  out  some  more  of  it.  The  despatch  seems  to  be 
based  throughout  on  good  information,  and  to  give  a 
faithful  account  of  the  situation. 


414  BISMARCK'S  GREA  T- GRANDPA  THER    [Dec.  2 1 , 1 870 

At  10.30  P.M.  summoned  to  the  Chief,  who  wants  the 
Moniteu?'  to  mention  Gambetta's  incUnation  to  forgo 
further  resistance  and  Trochu's  plan  respecting  Mont 
Valerien. 

Wednesday,  December  2lst. — At  dinner  the  Chief 
spoke  of  his  great-grandfather,  who,  if  I  rightly  under- 
stood him,  fell  at  Czaslau.  "  The  old  people  at  our  place 
often  described  him  to  my  father.  He  was  a  mighty 
hunter  before  the  Lord,  and  a  great  toper.  Once  in  a 
single  year  he  shot  154  red  deer,  a  feat  which  Prince 
Frederick  Charles  will  scarcely  emulate,  although  the 
Duke  of  Dessau  might.  I  remember  being  told  that  when 
he  was  stationed  at  Gollnow,  the  officers  messed  together, 
the  Colonel  presiding  over  the  kitchen.  It  was  the 
custom  there  for  five  or  six  dragoons  to  march  in  and 
fire  a  volley  from  their  carbines  at  each  toast.  Alto- 
gether they  had  very  curious  customs.  For  instance, 
instead  of  a  plank  bed  they  had  as  a  punishment  a 
so-called  wooden  donkey  with  sharp  edges,  upon  which 
the  men  who  had  been  guilty  of  any  breach  of  discipline 
were  obliged  to  sit,  often  for  a  couple  of  hours — a  very 
painful  punishment.  On  the  birthday  of  the  Colonel 
or  of  other  officers,  the  soldiers  always  carried  this 
donkey  to  the  bridge  and  threw  it  into  the  river.  But 
a  new  one  was  invariably  provided.  The  Burgomaster  s 
wife  told  my  father  that  it  must  have  been  renewed  a 
hundred  times.  I  have  a  portrait  of  this  great-grand- 
father in  Berlin.  I  am  the  very  image  of  him,  that  is 
to  say,  I  was  when  I  was  young — when  I  saw  myself  in 
the  looking-glass." 

The  Minister  then  related  that  it  was  owing  to  a  rela- 
tive of  his,  Finanzrath  Kerl,that  he  was  sent  to  Gottingen 
University.  He  was  consigned  to  Professor  Hausmann, 
and  was  to  study  mineralogy.     "  They  were  thinking, 


Dec.2i,  i87o]    A  PRUSSIAN  HINT  TO  ST.  PETERSBURG    415 

no  doubt,  of  Leopold  von  Bucli,  and  fancied  it  would  be 
fine  for  mc  to  go  tlirougii  the  world  like  liini,  hammer  in 
hand,  chipping  pieces  off  the  rocks.  Things,  however, 
turned  out  differently.  It  would  have  been  better  if  I 
had  been  sent  to  Bonn,  where  I  should  have  met  country- 
men of  my  own.  At  Gottingen  I  had  no  one  from  my  own 
part  of  the  country,  and  so  I  met  none  of  my  University 
acquaintances  again  until  I  saw  a  few  of  them  in  the 
Reichstag." 

Abeken  said  that  after  a  brisk  fire  from  the  forts 
this  morning  there  had  been  a  sortie  of  the  Paris  gar- 
rison, which  was  principally  directed  against  the  posi- 
tions occupied  by  the  Guards.  It  was,  however,  scarcely 
more  than  an  artillery  engagement,  as  the  attack  was  known 
beforehand  and  preparations  had  been  made  to  meet  it. 
Hatzfeldt  said  he  should  like  to  know  how  they  were  able 
to  discover  that  a  sortie  was  going  to  take  place.  It 
was  suggested  that  in  the  open  country  movements  of 
transport  and  guns  could  not  escape  detection,  as  large 
masses  of  troops  could  not  be  concentrated  on  the  point 
of  attack  in  one  night.  "  That  was  quite  true,"  observed 
the  Chief,  with  a  laugh  ;  "  but  often  a  hundred  louis- 
d'ors  also  form  an  important  part  of  this  military 
prescience." 

After  dinner  I  read  drafts  and  despatches,  from  which 
I  ascertained,  amongst  other  things,  that  as  early  as  the 
1st  of  September,  Prussia  had  intimated  in  St.  Petersburg 
that  she  would  put  no  difficulties  in  the  way  of  such 
action  in  the  matter  of  the  Black  Sea  as  has  now  been 
taken. 

Later  on  I  arranojed  that  Lowinsohn  should  deal 
with  the  Gambetta-Trochu  question  in  the  Independance 
Beige.  Also  informed  him  that  Delbriick  would  be  here 
again  on  the  28th  inst. 


4i6  CARDINAL  ANTOJVELU  [Dec.  22, 1870 

Thursday,  December  22nd. — This  time  there  were 
no  strangers  at  dinner.  The  Chief  was  in  excellent 
spirits,  but  the  conversation  was  of  no  special  importance. 

A  reference  was  made  to  yesterday's  sortie,  and  the 
Chief  remarked  :  "  The  French  came  out  yesterday  with 
three  divisions,  and  we  had  only  fifteen  companies,  not 
even  four  battalions,  and  yet  we  made  nearly  a  thousand 
prisoners.  The  Parisians  with  their  attacks,  now  here 
and  now  there,  remind  me  of  a  French  dancing  master 
conducting  a  cjuadrille. 

"Ma  commere,  quand  je  danse 
Mon  cotillon,  va-t-il  bien  ? 
II  va  de  ci,  il  va  de  la, 
Comme  la  queue  de  notre  chat." 

Later  on  the  Chief  remarked  :  "  Our  august  master 
is  not  at  all  pleased  at  the  idea  of  Antonelli  at  length 
deciding  to  come  here.  He  is  uneasy  about  it.  I  am 
not."  Abeken  said:  "The  newspapers  express  very 
different  opinions  about  Antonelli.  At  one  time 
he  is  described  as  a  man  of  great  intelligence  and 
acumen ;  then  again  as  a  sly  intriguer,  and  shortly 
afterwards  as  a  stupid  fellow  and  a  blockhead."  The 
Chief  replied  :  "It  is  not  in  the  press  alone  that  you 
meet  with  such  contradictions.  It  is  the  same  with 
many  diplomats.  Goltz  and  our  Harry  (von  Arnim). 
We  will  leave  Goltz  out  of  the  question — that  was 
different.  But  Harry — to-day  this  way  and  to-morrow 
that !  When  I  used  to  read  a  number  of  his  reports 
together  at  Varzin,  I  found  his  opinion  of  people  change 
entirely  a  couple  of  times  every  week,  according  as  he 
had  met  with  a  friendly  or  unfriendly  reception.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  he  sent  different  opinions  by  every  post, 
and  often  by  the  same  post." 

Afterwards  read  reports  from  Eome,  London,  and 


Dec.  22,1870]        0  VER TURES  FROM  E  UG^NIE  4 1 7 

Constantinople,  and  the  replies  sent  to  them.  According 
to  Arnim's  despatch,  Monsignor  Franchi  informed  him 
that  the  Pope  and  Antonelli  wished  to  send  a  mission  to 
Versailles  to  congratulate  the  King  on  his  accession  to 
the  imperial  dignity,  and  at  the  same  time  to  induce  the 
French  clergy  to  promote  the  liberation  of  the  country 
from  Gambetta,  and  the  negotiation  of  peace  with  us  on 
the  basis  of  a  cession  of  territory.  In  certain  circum- 
stances Antonelli  himself  would  undertake  the  task,  in 
which  the  Archbishop  of  Tours  had  failed,  of  securing  an 
acceptable  peace.  In  reply  to  this  communication  Arnim 
was  informed  that  it  was  still  uncertain  whether  Bavaria 
would  agree  to  the  scheme  of  Emperor  and  Empire.  We 
should,  nevertheless,  carry  it  through.  But,  in  that 
case,  its  chief  support  having  been  found  in  public 
opinion,  the  (mainly  Ultramontane)  elements  of  resist- 
ance would  be  in  still  more  marked  opposition  to  the 
new  Germany.  BernstorfF  reports  that  the  former  Im- 
perial Minister,  Duvernois,  had  called  upon  him  at 
Eugenie's  instance  and  suggested  a  cession  of  territory 
to  us  equal  in  extent  to  that  acquired  by  the  Empire  in 
Nice  and  Savoy.  The  Empress  wished  to  issue  a  pro- 
clamation. Persigny  was  of  a  different  opinion,  as  he 
considered  the  Empress  to  be  impossible.  Bonnechose, 
the  Archbishop  of  Bouen,  expressed  a  similar  opinion  to 
Manteuffel.  The  reply  sent  to  Bernstorff  was  that  we 
could  not  negotiate  with  the  Empress  (who,  moreover, 
does  not  appear  to  be  reliable  or  politically  capable), 
unless  Persigny  was  in  agreement  with  her,  and  that 
Duvernois'  overture  was  unpractical.  Aali  Pasha  is 
prepared  to  agree  to  the  abolition  of  the  neutrality  of 
the  Black  Sea,  but  demands  in  compensation  the  full 
sovereignty  of  the  Porte  over  the  Bosphorus  and  the 
Dardanelles.     This  was  telegraphed  by  us  to  St.  Peters- 

VOL.    I  E    E 


4i8  FOOLISH  LENIENCY  [Dec.  23, 1870 

burg,  and  there  agreed  to  ;  whereupou  Brunnow  (the 
Russian  Ambassador  in  London)  received  the  necessary 
instructions  in  the  matter. 

Friday^  December  23rd. — It  was  mentioned  at 
dinner  that  General  von  Voigts-Ehetz  was  outside 
Tours,  the  inhabitants  having  offered  so  much  resistance 
that  it  was  found  necessary  to  shell  the  town.  The 
Chief  added,  "  He  ought  not  to  have  stopped  firing 
when  they  hoisted  the  white  flag.  I  would  have  con- 
tinued to  shell  them  until  they  sent  out  four  hundred 
hostages."  He  again  condemned  the  leniency  of  the 
officers  towards  civilians  who  offer  resistance.  Even 
notorious  treachery  was  scarcely  punished  as  it  ought 
to  be,  and  so  the  French  imagined  that  they  could  do 
what  they  liked  against  us.  "  Here  is,  for  instance,  this 
Colonel  Krohn,"  he  continued.  "  He  first  has  a  lawyer 
tried  for  aiding  and  abetting  franctireurs,  and  then, 
when  he  sees  him  condemned,  he  sends  in  first  one  and 
then  another  petition  for  mercy,  instead  of  letting  the 
man  be  shot,  and  finally  despatches  the  wife  to  me  with 
a  safe  conduct.  Yet  he  is  generally  supposed  to  be  an 
energetic  officer  and  a  strict  disciplinarian,  but  he  can 
hardly  be  quite  right  in  his  head." 

From  the  discussion  of  this  foolish  leniency  the 
conversation  turned  on  General  von  linger,  Chief  of 
the  Staff  to  the  7th  Army  Corps,  who  had  gone  out  of 
his  mind,  and  had  to  be  sent  home.  He  is,  it  seems, 
generally  moody  and  silent,  but  occasionally  breaks  out 
into  loud  weeping.  *'  Yes,"  sighed  the  Chief,  "  officers  in 
that  position  are  terribly  harassed.  Constantly  at  work, 
always  resj)onsible,  and  yet  unable  to  get  things  done, 
and  hampered  by  intrigue.  Almost  as  bad  as  a  Minister. 
I  know  that  sort  of  crying  myself.  It  is  over  excitement 
of  the  nerves,   hysterical  weeping.     I,  too,  had  it  at 


Dec.  23, 1870]  GERMAN  WEAKNESS  419 

Nikolsburg,  and  badly.  A  Minister  is  just  as  badly 
treated — all  sorts  of  worries — an  incessant  plague  of 
midges.  Other  tilings  can  be  borne,  but  one  must  be 
properly  treated.  I  cannot  endure  shabby  treatment. 
If  I  were  not  treated  with  courtesy,  I  should  be  inclined 
to  throw  my  riband  of  the  Black  Eagle  into  the 
dustbin." 

The  Versailles  Moniteur  having  been  mentioned,  the 
Chief  observed  :  "  Last  week  they  published  a  novel  by 
Heyse,  the  scene  of  which  is  laid  in  Meran.  Such 
sentimental  twaddle  is  quite  out  of  place  in  a  paper 
published  at  the  cost  of  the  King,  which  after  all  this 
one  is.  The  Versailles  people  do  not  want  that  either. 
They  look  for  political  news  and  military  intelligence 
from  France,  from  England,  or,  if  you  like,  from  Italy, 
but  not  such  namby-pamby  trash.  I  have  also  a  touch 
of  poetry  in  my  nature,  but  the  first  few  sentences  of 
that  stuff  were  enough  for  me."  Abeken,  at  whose 
instance  the  novel  was  published,  stood  up  for  the 
editor,  and  said  the  story  had  been  taken  from  the 
Revue  des  Deux  Mondes,  an  admittedly  high-class 
periodical.  The  Chief,  however,  stuck  to  his  own 
opinion.  Somebody  remarked  that  the  Moniteur  was 
now  written  in  better  French.  "  It  may  be,"  said  the 
Minister,  "  but  that  is  a  minor  point.  However,  we  are 
Germans,  and  as  such  we  always  ask  ourselves,  even  in 
the  most  exalted  regions,  if  we  please  our  neighbours 
and  if  what  we  do  is  to  their  satisfaction.  If  they  do 
not  understand,  let  them  learn  German.  It  is  a  matter 
of  indifference  whether  a  proclamation  is  written  in  a 
good  French  style  or  not,  so  long  as  it  is  otherwise 
adequate  and  intelligible.  Moreover,  we  cannot  expect 
to  be  masters  of  a  foreign  language.  A  person  who  has 
only  used  it  occasionally  for  some  two  and  a  half  years 

E  E  2 


420  NAPOLEON  III.  [Dec.  23, 1870 

cannot  possibly  express  himself  as  well  as  one  who  has 
used  it  for  fifty-four  years."  Steinmetz's  proclamation 
then  received  some  ironical  praise,  and  a  couple  of 
extraordinary  expressions  were  quoted  from  it.  Lehn- 
dorff  said  :  "  It  was  not  first-class  French,  but  it  was,  at 
any  rate,  intelligible."  The  Chief:  "Yes,  it  is  their 
business  to  understand  it.  If  they  cannot,  let  them  find 
some  one  to  translate  it  for  them.  Those  people  who 
fancy  themselves  merely  because  they  speak  good 
French  are  of  no  use  to  us.  But  that  is  our  misfortune. 
Whoever  cannot  speak  decent  German  is  a  made  man, 

especially   if    he  can  murder   English.      Old  (I 

understood  :  MeyendorfF)  once  said  to  me  :  '  Don't  trust 
any  Englishman  who  speaks  French  with  a  correct 
accent.'  I  have  generally  found  that  true.  But  I 
must  make  an  exception  in  favour  of  Odo  Kussell." 

The  name  of  Napoleon  III.  then  came  up.  The 
Chief  regarded  him  as  a  man  of  limited  intelligence. 
"  He  is  much  more  good-natured  and  much  less  acute 
than  is  usually  believed."  "  Why,"  interrupted  Lehn- 
dorff",  "  that  is  just  what  some  one  said  of  Napoleon  I.  : 
'a  good  honest  fellow,  but  a  fool.'/'  "But  seriously," 
continued  the  Chief,  "  whatever  one  may  think  of  the 
cowp  d'etat  he  is  really  good-natured,  sensitive,  even 
sentimental,  while  his  intellect  is  not  brilliant  and  his 
knowledge  limited.  He  is  a  specially  poor  hand  at 
geography,  although  he  was  educated  in  Germany,  even 
going  to  school  there, — and  he  entertains  all  sorts  of 
visionary  ideas.  In  July  last  he  spent  three  days  shilly- 
shallying without  being  able  to  come  to  a  decision,  and 
even  now  he  does  not  know  what  he  wants.  People 
would  not  believe  me  when  I  told  them  so  a  long  time 
ago.  Already  in  1854-55  I  told  the  King,  Napoleon 
has  no  notion  of  what  we  are.    When  I  became  Minister 


Dec.  23, 1 870]  OFFICIAL  B  YZANTINISM  42 1 

I  had  a  conversation  with  him  in  Paris.  He  believed 
there  would  certainly  be  a  rising  in  Berlin  before  long 
and  a  revolution  all  over  the  country,  and  in  a  plebiscite 
the  King  would  have  the  whole  people  against  him.  I 
told  him  then  that  our  people  do  not  throw  up  barri- 
cades, and  that  revolutions  in  Prussia  are  only  made  by 
the  Kings.  If  the  King  could  only  bear  the  strain  for 
three  or  four  years  he  would  carry  his  point.  Of  course 
the  alienation  of  public  sympathy  was  unpleasant  and 
inconvenient.  But  if  the  King  did  not  grow  tired  and 
leave  me  in  the  lurch  I  should  not  fail.  If  an  appeal 
were  made  to  the  population,  and  a  plebiscite  were  taken, 
nine-tenths  of  them  would  vote  for  the  King.  At  that 
time  the  Emperor  said  of  me  :  '  Ce  n'est  ^jas  un  homnie 
serieux.'  Of  course  I  did  not  remind  him  of  that  in  the 
weaver's  house  at  Donchery." 

Somebody  then  mentioned  that  letters  to  Favre 
began  "Monsieur  le  Ministre,"  whereupon  the  Chief 
said  :  "  The  next  time  I  write  to  him  I  shall  begin 
HocJnvohlgehorner  Herr !  "  This  led  to  a  Byzantine  dis- 
cussion of  titles  and  forms  of  address,  Excellenz,  Hoch- 
ivohlgeboren,  and  Wohlgehoren.  The  Chancellor  enter- 
tained decidedly  anti-Byzantine  views.  "  All  that 
should  be  dropped,"  he  said.  "  I  do  not  use  those  expres- 
sions any  longer  in  private  letters,  and  officially  I  address 
councillors  down  to  the  third  class  as  Hochtvohlgehoren." 

Abeken,  a  Byzantine  of  the  purest  water,  declared 
that  diplomats  had  already  resented  the  occasional 
omission  of  portions  of  their  titles,  and  that  only  coun- 
cillors of  the  second  class  were  entitled  to  Hochwohlge- 
horen.  "  Well,"  said  the  Chief,  "  I  want  to  see  all  that 
kind  of  thing  done  away  with  as  far  as  we  are  concerned. 
In  that  way  we  waste  an  ocean  of  ink  in  the  course  of 
the  year,  and  the  taxpayer  has  good  reason  to  complain 


422    THE  Q  UEEN  AND  THE  CRO  WN  PRINCESS    [Dec.  24, 1 870 

of  extravagance.     I  am  quite  satisfied  to  be  addressed 
simply  as  '  Minister  President  Count  von  Bismarck.' " 

Saturday,  December  2Uh. — Bucher  told  us  at  lunch 
lie  liad  heard  from  Berlin  that  the  Queen  and  the  Crown 
Princess  had  become  very  unpopular,  owing  to  their  in- 
tervention on  behalf  of  Paris  ;  and  that  the  Princess, 
in  the  course  of  a  conversation  with  Putbus,  struck  the 
table  and  exclaimed:  "For  all  that,  Paris  shall  not  be 
bombarded  ! " 

We  are  joined  at  dinner  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  von 
Beckedorff,  an  old  and  intimate  friend  of  the  Chief,  who 
said  to  him  :  "  If  I  had  been  an  officer — I  wish  I  were 
— I  should  now  have  an  army  and  we  should  not  be 
here  outside  Paris."  He  proceeded  to  give  reasons  for 
believing  that  it  was  a  mistake  to  have  waited  and 
invested  Paris.  With  regard  to  the  operations  of  the 
last  few  weeks,  he  criticised  the  advance  of  the  army  so 
far  to  the  north  and  south-west  and  the  intention  of 
advancing  still  further,  "  If  it  should  become  necessary 
to  retire  from  Rouen  and  Tours,  the  French  will  think 
they  have  beaten  us.  It  is  an  unpractical  course  to  march 
on  every  place  where  a  mob  has  been  collected.  We 
ought  to  remain  within  a  certain  line.  It  may  be  urged 
that  in  that  case  the  French  would  be  able  to  carry  on 
their  organisation  beyond  that  line.  But  they  will 
always  be  able  to  do  that  even  if  we  advance,  and  we 
may  be  obliged  ultimately  to  follow  them  to  the 
Pyrenees  and  the  Mediterranean."  "  When  we  were 
still  at  Mayence,  I  thought  that  the  best  plan  would  be 
for  us  to  take  what  we  wanted  to  keep  and  occupy  some 
five  other  departments  as  a  pledge  for  the  payment  of 
the  cost  of  the  war,  and  then  let  the  French  try  to 
drive  us  out  of  our  positions." 

A   further  discussion   of    the   conduct  of   the   war 


Dec.24,  i87o]       HOW  BATTLES  ARE  FOUGHT  423 

followed,  in  the  course  of  which  the  Chief  remarked : 
"  With  us  it  occasionally  happens  that  it  is  not  so  much 
the  generals  who  begin  and  direct  the  course  of  battles 
as  the  troops  themselves.  Just  as  it  was  with  the 
Greeks  and  Trojans.  A  couple  of  men  jeer  at  each 
other  and  come  to  blows,  lances  are  flourished,  others 
rush  in  with  their  spears,  and  so  it  finally  comes  to  a 
pitched  battle.  First  the  outposts  fire  without  any 
necessity,  then  if  all  goes  well  others  press  forward  after 
them  ;  at  the  start  a  non-commissioned  officer  com- 
mands a  batch  of  men,  then  a  lieutenant  advances  with 
more  mxcn,  after  him  comes  the  regiment,  and  finally  the 
general  must  follow  with  all  the  troops  that  are  left. 
It  was  in  that  way  that  the  battle  of  Spicheren  began, 
and  also  that  of  Gravelotte,  which  properly  speaking 
should  not  have  taken  place  until  the  19th.  It  was 
diff'erent  at  Vionville.  There  our  people  had  to  spring 
at  the  French  like  bulldogs  and  hold  them  fast.  At  St. 
Privat  the  Guards  made  a  foolish  attack  merely  out  of 
professional  jealousy  of  the  Saxons,  and  then  when  it 
failed  threw  the  blame  on  the  Saxon  troops,  who  could 
not  have  come  a  minute  sooner  with  the  long  march  they 
had  had  to  make,  and  who  afterwards  rescued  them  with 
wonderful  gallantry." 

Later  on  I  was  summoned  to  see  the  Chief.  Various 
articles  are  to  be  written  on  the  barbarous  manner  in 
which  the  French  are  conducting  the  war — and  not 
merely  the  franctireurs,  but  also  the  regulars,  who  are 
almost  daily  guilty  of  breaches  of  the  Geneva  Conven- 
tion. The  French  appear  only  to  know,  and  appeal  to, 
those  clauses  that  are  advantageous  to  themselves.  In 
this  connection  should  be  mentioned  the  firing  at  flags 
of  truce,  the  ill-treatment  and  plundering  of  doctors 
:  id   hospital   bearers   and  attendants,   the    murder  of 


424  BISMARCK 'S  ''GE  WGA  WS"         [Dec.  2 5, 1 870 

wounded  soldiers,  the  misuse  of  the  Geneva  Cross  by 
franctireurs,  the  employment  of  explosive  bullets,  and 
the  treatment  of  German  ships  and  crews  by  French 
cruisers  in  breach  of  the  law  of  nations.  The  conclusion 
to  be  as  follows  : — The  present  French  Government  is 
greatly  to  blame  for  all  this.  It  has  instigated  a  popular 
war  and  can  no  longer  check  the  passions  it  has  let 
loose,  which  disregard  international  law  and  the  rules  of 
war.  They  are  responsible  for  all  the  severity  which 
we  are  obliged  to  employ  against  our  own  inclinations 
and  contrary  to  our  nature  and  habits,  as  shown  in  the 
conduct  of  the  Schleswig  and  Austrian  campaigns. 

At  10  P.M.  the  Chief  received  the  first  class  of  the 
Iron  Cross. 

At  tea  Hatzfeldt  informs  me  that  he  is  instructed  to 
collect  all  the  particulars  published  by  the  newspapers 
respecting  the  cruelties  of  the  French,  and  asks  whether 
I  would  not  prefer  to  undertake  that  task.  After  I 
promised  to  do  so,  he  continued  :  "  Moreover,  I  believe 
the  Chief  only  sent  for  me  in  order  to  tell  me  his 
opinion  of  the  new  decoration."  He  said  to  Hatzfeldt:  *'I 
have  already  enough  of  these  gewgaws,  and  here  is  the 
good  King  sending  me  the  first  class  of  the  Iron  Cross. 
I  shall  be  thoroughly  ridiculous  with  it,  and  look  as  if 
I  had  won  a  great  battle.  If  I  could  at  least  send  my 
son  the  second  class  which  I  no  longer  want ! " 

Sunday,  December  25th. — Cardinal  Bonnechose  of 
Rouen  is  said  to  be  coming  here.  He  and  Persigny 
want  to  convoke  the  old  Legislative  Assembly,  and  still 
more  the  Senate,  which  is  composed  of  calmer  and  riper 
elements,  in  order  to  discuss  the  question  of  peace.  The 
Chief  is  believed  to  have  made  representations  to  the 
King  respecting  the  expediency,  on  political  grounds,  of 
greater  concentration  in  the  military  operations. 


Dec.  26, 1 870]       MV  "  MA  TERIAL  FOR  HIS  TOR  V"  425 

We  had  no  guests  at  dinner,  and  the  conversation 
was,  for  the  most  part,  not  worth  repeating.  The  follow- 
ing may,  however,  be  noted.  Abeken  said  he  had  ob 
served  that  I  was  keeping  a  very  complete  diary,  and 
Bohlen  added  in  his  own  lively  style  :  "  Yes,  he  writes 
down  : '  At  45  minutes  past  3  o'clock  Count  or  Baron  So- 
and-so  said  this  or  that,'  as  if  he  were  going  to  swear 
to  it  at  some  future  time."  Abeken  said  :  "  That  will 
one  day  be  material  for  history.  If  one  could  only  live 
to  read  it  !  "  I  replied  that  it  would  certainly  furnish 
material  for  history,  and  very  trustworthy  material,  but 
not  for  thirty  years  to  come.  The  Chief  smiled  and 
said  :  "  Yes,  and  the  reference  will  then  be  :  '  Conferas 
Buschii,  cap.  3,  p.  20.' " 

After  dinner  I  read  State  documents  and  ascer- 
tained from  them  that  an  extension  of  the  German 
frontier  towards  the  west  was  first  officially  submitted 
to  the  King,  at  Herny,  on  the  14th  of  August.  It  was 
only  on  the  2nd  September  that  the  Baden  Government 
sent  in  a  memorial  in  the  same  sense. 

Monday,  December  26th. — Waldersee  dined  with 
us.  The  conversation  was  almost  entirely  on  military 
subjects.  With  respect  to  the  further  conduct  of  the 
war,  the  Chief  said  that  the  wisest  course  would  be  to 
concentrate  our  forces  in  Alsace-Lorraine,  the  depart- 
ment of  the  Meuse,  and  another  neighbouring  depart- 
ment, which  would  amount  to  a  strip  of  territory  with 
about  2,600,000  inhabitants.  If  one  took  in  a  few  other 
departments  in  addition,  without  Paris,  it  would  amount 
to  about  seven  millions,  or  with  Paris  to  about  nine 
million  inhabitants.  In  any  case  the  operations  should 
be  limited  to  a  smaller  area  than  that  occupied  by  our 
armies  at  present. 

People's  ability  to  carry  liquor  was   then  discussed, 


426    A  CHRISTMAS  CUTTING  FOR  THE  KING    [Dec.  26, 1870 

and  the  Chief  observed :  "  Formerly  drink  did  not 
affect  me  in  the  least.  When  I  think  of  my  perform- 
ances in  that  line  !  The  strong  wines,  particularly  Bur- 
gundy ! "  The  conversation  afterwards  turned  for  a 
while  on  card-playing,  and  the  Minister  remarked  that 
he  had  also  done  a  good  deal  in  that  way  formerly.  He 
had  once  played  twenty-one  rubbers  of  whist,  for  in- 
stance, one  after  the  other — "  which  amounts  to  seven 
hours  time."  He  could  only  feel  an  interest  in  cards 
when  playing  for  high  stakes,  and  then  it  was  not 
a  proper  thing  for  the  father  of  a  family. 

This  subject  had  been  introduced  by  a  remark  of  the 
Chief's  that  somebody  was  a  "  Kiemchenstecher."  He 
asked  if  we  understood  what  the  word  meant,  and  then 
proceeded  to  explain  it.  "  Riemchenstechen  "  is  an  old 
soldiers'  game,  and]  a  "  Kiemchenstecher  "  is  not  exactly 
a  scamp,  but  rather  a  sly,  sharp  fellow.  The  Minister 
then  related  how  he  had  seen  a  father  do  his  own  son  at 
cards  out  of  a  sum  of  twelve  thousand  thalers.  "  I  saw 
him  cheat,  and  made  a  sign  to  the  son,  who  understood 
me.  He  lost  the  game  and  paid,  although  it  cost  him 
two  years'  income.     But  he  never  played  again." 

After  dinner  wrote  another  article  on  the  barbarity 
with  which  the  French  wage  war,  and  cut  out  for  the 
King  an  article  from  the  Staatshuergerzeitung,  recoia- 
mending  a  less  considerate  treatment  of  the  enemy. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

FIRST   WEEK    OF   THE    BOMBARDMENT 

On  Tuesday,  tlie  27tli  of  December,  the  long-wished- 
for  bombardment  of  Paris  at  length  began,  commencing 
on  the  east  side.  As  the  following  particulars  show,  we 
at  first  knew  nothing  of  it,  and  afterwards  also  it  was 
only  for  a  few  days  that  the  firing  gave  an  impression 
of  being  particularly  violent.  We  very  soon  grew  ac- 
customed to  it,  and  it  never  entirely  diverted  our  at- 
tention even  from  trifles,  nor  caused  any  lengthy 
interruption  of  our  work  or  of  the  flow  of  thought. 
The  French  forts  had  been  prepared  for  it.  The  diary 
may  now  resume  its  narrative. 

From  early  morning  on  Tuesday  until  far  into  the 
day  there  was  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  and  rather  severe 
cold.  In  the  morning  Theiss,  who  serves  Abeken  as 
well  as  myself,  and  who  seems  to  consider  that  our  old 
Geheimrath  is  a  Catholic,  told  me  : — "  He  always  i^eads 
his  prayers  in  the  morning.  I  believe  it  is  Latin.  He 
speaks  very  loud,  so  that  he  can  sometimes  be  heard  in 
the  antechamber.  Probably  it's  a  mass."  He  then 
added  that  Abeken  supposed  the  heavy  firing  that  was 
heard  from  7  a.m.  was  the  commencement  of  the 
bombardment. 

Wrote  several  letters  to  Berlin  with  instructions  as 


428  BONAPARTIST  ACTIVITY  [Dec.  27, 1870 

to  articles.  Bray  is  to  be  sharply  attacked  by  our 
newspapers.  After  12  o'clock  I  telegraph  to  London  on 
the  instructions  of  the  Chief  that  the  bombardment  of 
the  outer  fortifications  began  this  morning.  Our 
artillery  has  commenced  with  an  attack  upon  Mont 
Avron,  a  redoubt  near  Bondy,  and  it  appears  that  the 
Saxons  had  the  honour  to  fire  the  first  shot. 

The  Minister  remained  in  bed  the  whole  day,  not 
because  he  was  particularly  unwell,  but,  as  he  told  me, 
to  maintain  an  equable  warmth.  He  was  also  absent 
from  dinner,  at  which  we  were  joined  by  Count  Solms. 
The  only  point  of  note  in  the  conversation  was  Abeken's 
mention  of  a  very  pretty  poem  in  the  Kladderadatsch, 
on  the  Duke  of  Coburg — probably  a  panegyric. 

The  Bonapartists  seem  to  have  become  very  active, 
and  to  entertain  great  plans.    According  to  BernstorfF's 
despatches  Persigny  and  Palikao  intend  to  get  us  to 
grant  neutrality  to  Orleans,  and  to  convoke  there  the 
Corps  Legislatif   to  decide  whether  the  country   is  to 
have  a  republic  or  a  monarchy,  and  if  the  latter  which 
dynasty  is  to  reign.     It  is  intended,  however,  to  wait 
for  a  while,   until    greater   discouragement  shall  have 
made    the    people   more   accommodating.     Bonnechose 
proposes  to  attempt  a  negotiation  for  peace  between 
Germany  and    France.      This   prelate  was   formerly  a 
lawyer,  and  only  entered  holy  orders  subsequently.    He 
is  considered  to  be  intelligent,  is  connected  with  the 
Jesuits,  and  although  in  politics  he  is  really  a  Legitimist 
he  has  a  high  opinion  of  Eugenie  because  of  her  piety. 
He  was  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  doctrine  of  infalli- 
bility, and  expects  to  be  elected  Pope,  which  position 
he  has  indeed  some  prospect  of  attaining.     The  Arch- 
bishop told  Professor  Wagener,  who  had  been  sent  to 
see  him  by  Manteuffel  respecting  the  hospital  arrange- 


Dec.  28, 1870]    AN  AMERICAN  LAD  Y'S  LETTER  429 

ments,  that  he  could  induce  Trochu,  with  whom  he  is 
acquainted,  to  surrender  Paris  in  case  we  did  not  insist 
upon  a  cession  of  territory.  The  Archbishop  suggested 
that  instead  of  a  cession  of  territory  we  might  demand 
the  return  of  Nice  and  Savoy  to  Victor  Emmanuel,  and 
then  oblige  the  latter  to  restore  their  territories  to  the 
Pope  and  to  the  Sovereigns  of  Tuscany  and  Naples.  In 
that  way  we  should  win  renown  as  the  protectors  of 
order,  and  the  restorers  of  justice  in  Europe.  A  strange 
idea  indeed ! 

The  Chief  has  given  directions  to  adopt  the  severest 
measures  against  Noquet  le  Roi,  where  a  surprise  by 
franctireurs  was  assisted  by  the  inhabitants.  He  has 
also  rejected  the  appeal  of  the  mayor  and  municipality 
of  Chatillon  to  be  relieved  from  a  contribution  of  a 
million  francs  imposed  upon  the  town  as  a  penalty  for 
similar  conduct.  In  both  cases  he  was  guided  by  the 
principle  that  the  population  must  be  made  to  suffer  by 
the  war  in  order  to  render  them  more  disposed  to  peace. 

At  11  P.M.  called  to  the  Chief,  who  gave  me  several 
newspaper  articles  from  Berlin  "  for  the  collection " 
(of  examples  of  French  barbarity  in  the  conduct  of  the 
war  which  I  have  begun  under  his  instructions),  as  well 
as  two  other  articles  that  are  to  be  sent  to  the  King. 

Wednesday,  December  2  8^/1. — Snowfall  and  moder- 
ately cold.  The  Chief  again  kept  to  his  room  to-day. 
He  handed  me  a  letter  in  French,  dated  the  25th 
instant,  which  he  had  received  from  "  Une  Americaine." 
I  am  to  make  what  use  I  like  of  it.    It  runs  as  follows  : — 

"  Graf  von  Bismarck.  Jouissez  autant  que  possible, 
Herr  Graf,  du  climat  frais  de  Versailles,  car,  un  jour, 
vous  aurez  h,  supporter  des  ch^leurs  infernales  pour 
tous  les  malheurs  que  vous  avez  causes  a  la  France  et  a 
FAllemagne."     That  is  all ! 


430         THE  REORGANISATION  OF  GERMANY    [Dec.  29, 1870 

His  Excellency  Herr  Delbriick  again  lunches  with 
u>s.  He  is  convinced  that  the  Second  Bavarian  Chamber 
will  ultimately  approve  the  Versailles  treaties  just  as 
the  North  German  Diet  did,  respecting  whose  decision 
he  had  been  really  uneasy  for  some  days. 

Tliursday,  December  29th. — The  Minister  still 
remains  in  bed,  but  works  there,  and  does  not  seem  to 
be  particularly  unwell. 

In  the  afternoon  I  translated  for  the  King  Gran- 
ville's despatch  to  Loftus  respecting  Bismarck's  circular 
on  the  Luxemburg  affair.  Afterwards  studied  docu- 
ments. In  the  middle  of  October  the  Chief  received 
a  memorial  from  Coburg  with  proposals  as  to  a  re- 
organisation of  Germany.  These  also  included  the 
restoration  of  the  imperial  dignity,  and  finally  the 
substitution  for  the  Bundesrath  of  a  Federal  Ministry, 
and  the  creation  of  a  Reichsrath  to  consist  of  represen- 
tatives of  the  Governments  and  delegates  from  the 
Diets.  The  Chief  replied  to  this  memorial  that  some 
of  the  ideas  brought  forward  were  already  for  some 
time  past  in  process  of  realisation.  He  could  not  agree 
to  the  proposals  as  to  a  Federal  Ministry  and  the 
Reichsrath,  as  he  considered  them  calculated  to  hamper 
the  new  organisation,  and,  if  necessary,  he  would  openly 
declare  against  them.  It  is  reported  from  Brussels  that 
the  King  of  the  Belgians  is  well  disposed  towards  us, 
but  has  no  means  of  controlling  the  anti-German  press 
of  the  country.  The  Grand  Duke  of  Hesse  has  stated 
that  Alsace  and  Lorraine  must  become  Prussian 
provinces.  Dalwigk  (his  Minister),  who  is  as  opposed 
to  us  as  ever,  wishes  to  see  the  territory  to  be  ceded  by 
France  incorporated  with  Baden.  The  Grand  Duchy 
would  then  cede  the  district  near  Heidelberg  and 
Mannheim    to    Bavaria,    whose    connection    with    the 


Dec.  29, 1 870]  THE  BA  VARIAN  CO URT  43 1 

Palatinate  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Rhine  would  he  thus 
re-established.  In  Rome  the  Pope  wishes  to  undertake 
"  mediation "  between  ourselves  and  France.  The 
expression  quoted  was  objected  to  by  Arnim  as  in- 
appropriate. 

The  following  particulars  relating  to  the  King  of 
Bavaria  are  contained  in  a  report  from  Munich  :  "  His 
kingdom  is  not  of  this  world.  It  has  been  further 
observed  that  Major  Sauer  has  no  longer  any  influence 
upon  him,  while  that  of  Privy  Councillor  Eisenhart  has 
increased,  as  indeed  also  that  of  Count  Holnstein.  He 
is  not  coming  to  Versailles,  in  the  first  place  because  he 
would  be  obliged  to  ride,  which  he  can  no  longer  do  with 
comfort,  and  in  the  next  place  because  he  does  not  like 
to  play  second  fiddle.  All  that  Bray  thinks  of  is  to 
keep  his  own  position  in  Vienna  warm,  if  only  for  the 
sake  of  his  livelihood."  Lutz  is  "the  tete forte  in  the 
Ministry,  and  is  very  ambitious."  The  Princes  Karl  and 
Ludwig  are  strongly  anti-Prussian.  The  Nuncio's 
secretary  exercises  a  great  influence  with  his  chief. — 
Read  a  letter  from  King  Lewis  to  our  Crown  Prince.  It 
was  written  at  the  commencement  of  the  war.  The 
handwriting  is  coarse  and  ugly  and  the  lines  are  not 
straight.  It  expresses  a  hope  that  the  independence  of 
Bavaria  w^ill  be  respected.  Otherwise  the  tone  of  the 
epistle  is  soundly  patriotic. 

In  the  evening  I  handed  Bucher,  as  material  for  an 
article,  all  the  newspaper  reports  I  have  collected  on  the 
barbarous  conduct  of  the  war  by  the  French,  contrary  to 
the  law  of  nations. 

At  10  o'clock  I  was  called  to  the  Chief,  who  was 
lying  before  the  fire  on  the  sofa,  wrapt  in  a  blanket. 
He  said:  "Well,  we've  got  him!"  "  A\Tiom,  your 
Excellency  ? "    "  Mont  Avron."    He  then  showed  me  a 


432  VIENNESE  ILL-HUMOUR  [Dec. 30, 1870 

letter  from  Count  Waldersee,  reporting  that  this  redoubt 
was  occupied  by  the  troops  of  the  12th  Army  Corps  this 
afternoon.  "It  is  to  be  hoped  that  they  have  laid  no 
mine  and  that  the  poor  Saxons  will  not  be  blown  up." 
I  telegraphed  the  news  of  this  first  success  in  the 
bombardment  to  London,  but  in  cipher,  "as  otherwise 
the  general  staff  might  be  angry." 

Subsequently  the  Chancellor  sent  for  me  once  more 
to  show  me  an  outburst  of  the  Vienna  Tagehlatt  which 
has  been  reproduced  by  the  Kolnisclie  Zeitung.  It 
declares  that  Bismarck  has  been  thoroughly  deceived  as 
to  the  power  of  resistance  of  Paris,  and  in  his  overhaste, 
which  has  already  cost  the  lives  of  hundreds  of  thousands 
(why  not  at  once  say  millions  ?),  has  put  forward  exces- 
sive demands  in  connection  with  the  peace.  We  reply, 
through  the  Spe7iersche  Zeitung,  that  up  to  the  present 
no  one  knows  what  the  Chancellor's  conditions  are,  as  he 
has  not  yet  had  any  opportunity  of  stating  them  officially, 
but  they  do  not  in  any  case  go  so  far  as  German  public 
opinion,  which  almost  unanimously  demands  the  cession 
of  all  Lorraine.  No  one  can  say  either  what  his  views 
were  respecting  the  power  of  resistance  of  Paris,  as  he 
has  never  had  to  give  official  expression  to  them. 

Friday,  December'  SOth. — The  bitter  cold  of  the  last 
few  days  still  continues.  In  consequence  of  his  indis- 
position the  Chief  still  keeps  to  his  room,  and  is  indeed 
mostly  in  bed.  In  the  morning,  on  his  instructions,  I 
telegraphed  particulars  of  the  occupation  of  Mont  Avron, 
and  of  the  disgraceful  conduct  of  the  French  authorities, 
who,  according  to  the  official  acknowledgment  of  the 
delegation  at  Tours,  have  offered  a  premium  to  imprisoned 
officers  to  return  to  France,  in  breach  of  their  word  of 
honour.  On  the  suggestion  of  the  Chief  I  write  paragraphs 


Dec.  30,1870]  FRENCH  DEMORALISATION  433 


on  this  subject  for  the  German  press  as  well  as  for  the 
local  Moniteur  to  the  following  effect : — 

"  We  have  frequently  had  occasion  to  direct  attention 
to  the  profound  demoralisation  manifested  by  French 
statesmen  and  officers  in  the  matter  of  military  honour. 
A  communication,  which  reaches  us  from  a  trustworthy 
source,  proves  that  we  had  not  up  to  the  present  realised 
how  deep  and  widespread  that  evil  is.  We  have  now 
before  us  an  official  order  issued  by  the  French  Ministry 
of  War,  the  5th  Bureau  of  the  6th  Department,  which 
bears  the  title  '  Solde  et  revues.'  It  is  dated  from  Tours 
on  the  13th  of  November,  and  is  signed  by  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Alfred  Jerald,  and  by  Colonel  Tissier  of  the 
general  staft"  of  the  17th  Army  Corps.  This  order, 
which  is  based  upon  another  dated  the  10th  of  Novem- 
ber, assures  all  French  officers  imprisoned  in  Germany, 
without  distinction,  a  money  payment  in  case  they 
escape  from  custody.  We  repeat,  all  the  French 
officers  without  distinction  ;  that  is  to  say  also  those  who 
have  given  their  word  of  honour  not  to  escape.  The 
premium  offered  for  such  dishonourable  conduct  amounts 
to  750  francs.  A  measure  of  this  description  needs  no 
comment.  Honour  (which  is  the  dearest  treasure  of 
every  German  officer  and — duty  and  justice  demand 
that  we  should  add — formerly  also  of  all  French  officers) 
is  regarded  by  the  men  who  came  to  power  on  the  4th 
of  September  as  a  commodity  to  be  bought  and  sold, 
and  indeed  very  cheaply.  In  this  way  officers  of  the 
French  army  will  come  to  believe  that  France  is  no 
longer  administered  by  a  Government,  but  is  on  the 
contrary  exploited  by  a  trading  firm,  and  one  with  lax 
principles  of  honesty  and  decency,  under  the  title  of 
'  Gambetta  and  Co.'  'Who'll  buy  gods  ? '  'Who'll  sell  his 
word  of  honour  ? '  " 

VOL.    I  F    F 


434  BISMARCK  AND  BEUST  [Dec.  30, 1870 

Afterwards  I  write  another  short  article  on  an  error 
frequently  committed  by  the  Kolnische  Zeitung  and 
recently  repeated  in  connection  with  the  Chancellor's 
despatch  to  Vienna.  The  great  Rhenish  newspaper 
writes  :  "  Ever  since  1866  we  have  been  amongst  those 
who  have  persistently  warned  both  Vienna  and  Berlin 
to  dismiss  their  idle  jealousies  and  to  come  to  the  best 
understanding  possible  in  the  circumstances.  We  have 
often  regretted  \hQ  personal  irritation  between  Bismarck 
and  Beust  which  appears  to  stand  in  the  way  of  such 
a  rapjwochement,  &g."  The  reply  is  to  the  following 
effect :  "It  has  been  observed  that  the  Kohiische 
Zeitung  has  already  frequently  sought  to  explain 
political  acts  and  omissions  of  the  Chancellor  of  the 
Confederation  by  personal  motives,  personal  likes  and 
dislikes,  personal  disposition  and  ill  humour  ;  and  we 
have  here  a  further  instance  of  this  unjustifiable  course. 
We  cannot  imagine  why  such  suspicions  are  time  after 
time  brought  forward.  We  only  know  that  absolutely 
no  feeling  of  personal  irritation  exists  between  the 
Chancellor  of  the  North  German  Confederation  and  the 
Chancellor  of  the  Austria-Hungarian  Monarchy,  and 
indeed  that,  previous  to  1866,  when  they  often  came 
into  personal  contact,  they  were  on  excellent  terms,  as 
Count  Bismarck  himself  declared  in  the  North  German 
Reichstag.  Since  then  nothing  has  happened  between 
them  as  private  persons  calculated  to  create  bitterness, 
if  for  no  other  reason  than  because  they  have  had  no 
personal  intercourse.  If  they  have  taken  up  a  position 
more  or  less  antagonistic  to  each  other  the  reasons  are 
obvious.  Up  to  the  present  they  were  the  representa- 
tives of  different  political  systems,  and  acted  upon 
different  political  principles  which  it  was  difficult 
although  not  quite  impossible  to  reconcile.     This,  and 


Jan.  3, 1871]      TREATMENT  OF  THE  ALSACIANS  435 

this  alone,  is  the  sole  explanation  of  what  the  Kolnisclie 
Zeitung  ascribes  to  personal  motives,  from  which  the 
thoughts  and  acts  of  no  statesman  of  the  present  day  is 
farther  removed  than  those  of  the  Chancellor  of  the 
Confederation.  It  may  also  be  remarked  incidentally 
that  not  only  has  Count  Bismarck  not  been  '  thoroughly ' 
deceived  as  to  the  power  of  resistance  of  Paris,  but  he 
has  not  been  deceived  at  all.  His  opinion  has  never 
been  asked  on  the  subject ;  but  we  know  on  the  best 
authority  that  months  ago  he  regarded  the  capture  of 
the  city  as  difficult,  and  was  decidedly  opposed  to  the 
investment  even  before  the  fall  of  Metz." 

In  reading  documents  in  the  evening  I  find  that  the 
Chief  has  had  a  letter  sent  to  General  Bismarck-Bohlen 
stating  that  he  does  not  agree  with  the  general  in 
thinking  that  his  main  task  should  be  to  alleviate  the 
misery  caused  by  the  war,  and  to  render  the  Alsacians 
well  disposed  towards  the  future  masters  of  the  country. 
For  the  moment  his  first  business  must  be  to  promote 
the  objects  of  the  war  and  to  secure  the  safety  of  the 
troops.  He  should  therefore  expel  such  French  officials 
as  will  not  take  service  under  us,  including  the  magis- 
trates who  will  not  discharge  the  duties  of  their  office  ; 
and  he  should  also  withhold  the  payment  of  pensions 
directing  the  pensioners  to  apply  to  the  Government  at 
Tours.  Under  such  conditions  the  people  would  be 
more  disposed  to  call  for  peace. 

Saturday,  December  31st. — All  our  people  are 
ailing.  I  also  begin  to  feel  exhausted.  It  will  be  well 
to  shorten  the  night  work  which  my  diary  entails,  or  to 
interrupt  it  altogether  for  a  few  days. 

Tuesday,  January  Srd. — I  observe  that  the  opinion 
already  expressed  by  the  Chief  on  several  occasions, 
that  the  dispersion  of  the  German  forces  towards  the 

F  F  2 


436        A  NATIONAL  ASSEMBLY  FOR  FRANCE      [Jan.  3,1871 


north  and  soutli-west  is  dangerous,  and  that  more  in 
concentration  is  desirable,  is  also  held  elsewhere.  A 
military  authority  has  written  on  this  subject  in  the 
Vienna  Presse',  and  the  National  Zeitung  of  the  31st 
of  December  publishes  an  article  which  is  even  more  in 
harmony  with  the  Chiefs  views.  It  says,  inter  alia  : 
— "  The  withdrawal  of  our  troops  from  Dijon  and  the 
non -occupation  of  Tours,  to  the  gates  of  which  a  division 
of  the  10th  Army  Corps  had  advanced,  give  perhaps  an 
indication  of  the  views  entertained  generally  on  the 
German  side,  and  which  will  govern  the  continuation  of 
the  campaign.  It  may  possibly  be  expected  that  France 
will  forgo  further  resistance  after  the  fall  of  Paris,  and 
will  agree  to  the  German  conditions  of  peace.  That, 
however,  is  not  certain,  and  it  is  necessary  to  be  pre- 
pared for  an  opposite  contingency.  In  any  case  the 
fall  of  Paris  will  not  be  immediately  followed  by  the 
establishment  of  a  Government  generally  recognised  and 
supported  by  a  National  Assembly,  with  which  we  could 
enter  into  negotiations  for  peace.  Then  if  hostilities 
are  to  be  continued  they  cannot  aim  at  conquering  the 
whole  of  such  an  extensive  country  as  France.  Our 
army,  as  hitherto,  might  indeed  be  everywhere  victorious 
and  disperse  the  hostile  forces.  That,  however,  would 
not  be  sufficient.  It  would  be  necessary  to  organise 
a  new  civil  administration  in  all  the  conquered  districts 
and  to  subject  the  population  to  its  rule.  Even  in  the 
country  lying  between  the  Channel  and  the  Loire  our 
forces  would  not  be  sufficient  to  completely  secure  the 
safety  of  communications  and  to  maintain  the  authority 
of  a  foreign  administration  in  each  town  and  village,  to 
prevent  treacherous  attacks  and  to  collect  the  taxes  as 
well  as  the  contributions  and  supplies  that  are  indis- 
pensable for  the  purposes  of  the  war.     To  extend  the 


Jan.  6,  1 871]  BISMARCK  UNWELL  437 

area  of  occupation  indefinitely  would  not  only  be  to  over- 
tax our  military  power,  however  highly  we  may  rate  it, 
but  to  unduly  drain  our  home  services  for  the  necessary 
supply  of  civil  administrators.  Therefore,  if  peace  is 
not  attainable  within  a  very  short  time  our  military 
authorities  must  set  clear  and  distinct  limits  to  the  task 
which  they  propose  to  themselves.  They  must  select  a 
fixed  portion  of  French  territory,  which  they  can  occupy 
so  completely  that  we  shall  have  full  command  over  it, 
and  can  retain  it  as  long  as  may  be  desired.  This 
portion  should  include  the  capital  and  the  best  pro- 
vinces, with  the  finest  and  most  warlike  population,  and 
it  would  have,  of  course,  to  bear  the  whole  burden  and 
cost  of  the  war  until  a  peace  party  had  grown  up 
throughout  the  country  strong  enough  to  force  its  views 
upon  the  Government  of  the  day.  The  occupied  terri- 
tory should  be  so  limited  as  to  make  its  defence  as  easy 
as  possible  from  a  military  point  of  view.  Of  course 
further  off'ensive  operations  for  temporary  purposes 
might  be  undertaken  beyond  those  lines,  but  there 
should  from  the  beginning  be  no  intention  of  going 
permanently  beyond  them.  In  the  meantime  the  work 
of  annexation  should  be  proceeded  with  in  those  districts 
which  Germany  requires  for  the  security  of  her  frontier 
without  awaiting  the  conclusion  of  peace." 

Friday^  January  Qth. — Up  to  yesterday  the  cold 
was  very  severe.  The  Chief  has  been  unwell  nearly  the 
whole  week.  Yesterday  for  the  first  time  he  went  out 
for  a  short  drive,  and  again  this  afternoon.  The  Bureau 
has  been  reinforced  by  two  ofiicials,  namely  Ober- 
regierunffsrath  Wagener  and  Baron  von  Holstein,  a 
secretary  of  embassy.  Amongst  the  articles  which  I 
have  written  within  the  last  few  days  was  one  con- 
cerning the  withdrawal  of  a  number  of  railway  waggons 


438  ENGLISH  COALSHIPS  SUNK  [Jan.  6, 1871 

from  liome  traffic,  and  consequently  from  the  use  of 
German  industry,  solely  for  tlie  purpose  of  collecting 
provisions  here  in  anticipation  of  the  time  when  famine 
shall  at  length  compel  Paris  to  surrender.  I  described 
this  as  humane,  but  unpractical  and  impolitic,  as  the 
Parisians,  when  they  hear  that  we  have  made  prepar- 
ations for  that  event,  will  continue  their  resistance  to 
the  last  crust  of  bread  and  the  last  joint  of  horseflesh. 
We  shall,  therefore,  ourselves  be  contributing  through 
such  acts  of  humanity  to  a  prolongation  of  the  siege. 
It  is  not  for  us  to  provide  against  the  threatened  danger 
of  famine  by  establishing  storehouses  or  collecting  the 
means  of  transport  for  reprovisioning  the  city,  but 
rather  for  the  Parisians  themselves  by  means  of  a  timely 
capitulation.  I  yesterday  translated  for  the  use  of  the 
King  two  English  documents  respecting  the  sinking  of 
English  coal  ships  near  Rouen  by  our  troops,  who  con- 
sidered the  measure  necessary. 

After  dinner  I  read  despatches  and  drafts.  A 
demand  has  been  addressed  to  the  German  railways 
to  supply  a  number  of  waggons  ("2,800  axles")  for  the 
purpose  of  transporting  provisions  to  Paris.  The  Chief 
entered  an  energetic  protest  against  this  measure,  which 
would  be  prejudicial  to  us  from  a  political  standpoint, 
as  the  knowledge  of  those  provisions  would  enable  the 
holders  of  power  in  Paris  to  exhaust  all  their  supplies 
before  finally  yielding,  without  any  fear  of  famine  at 
the  last  moment.  A  telegram  was  sent  to  Itzenplitz 
on  the  3rd  of  January  suggesting  that  he  should  not 
deliver  a  single  waggon  for  this  purpose,  and  asking  him 
to  reply  by  wire  whether  he  would  decline  such  re- 
quisitions. If  not,  the  Chief  "  would  request  his 
Majesty  to  relieve  him  from  all  responsibility."  Itzen- 
plitz telegraphed  back  that  he  agreed  with  the  views  of 


Jan.  6, 1871]  A  LETTER  FROM  THE  KING  OF  SWEDEN  439 

the  Chancellor  of  the  Confederation,  and  would  act 
accordingly.  A  letter  from  the  King  of  Sweden, 
addressed  to  a  Commandant  Verrier  in  Erfurt,  is  to 
be  returned  through  the  Dead  Letter  Office.  His 
Swedish  Majesty,  whom  we  know  not  to  be  particularly 
well  disposed  towards  us,  says  in  this  epistle,  which,  Ijy 
the  way,  is  written  in  bad  French  with  many  ortho- 
graphical errors,  that  he  regrets  to  have  to  watch  the 
struggle  with  "  folded  arms,"  and  to  be  obliged  to  "  eat 
his  bread  in  peace."  ''Nous  nous  armons  tardivement, 
helas !  mais  avec  vigueur,  et  fespere  que  le  jour  de 
vengeance  arrivera  ! "  Vengeance  ?  What  have  the 
Swedes  to  avenge  upon  us  ?  It  would  seem  as  if  Prince 
Charles  of  Rumania  were  no  longer  able  to  manage  the 
local  extremists,  and  were  thinking  of  abdicating  and 
leaving  the  country.  "  We  have  no  political  interests 
in  Rumania."  The  Chief  has  made  representations  to 
the  King  suggesting  a  limitation  of  the  seat  of  war  for 
political  reasons,  namely  on  the  ground  that  only  thus 
shall  we  be  able  to  maintain  our  position  in  the  occupied 
portions  of  France  and  take  full  advantage  of  our  occu- 
pation ;  and  he  has  further  proposed  that  we  should 
give  notice  to  withdraw  from  the  Geneva  Convention, 
which  is  unpractical.  Bonnechose  has,  at  the  instance 
of  the  Pope,  addressed  a  letter  to  King  William  in 
favour  of  peace,  but  of  an  "honourable"  peace,  that  is 
to  say,  one  that  would  not  involve  a  cession  of  territory. 
That  we  could  have  had  twelve  weeks  ago  from  Monsieur 
Favre,  if  the  Chief  had  not  preferred  a  useful  peace. 
For  this  reason  the  Minister  recommended  that  the 
letter  should  be  left  unanswered.  According^  to  an 
intimation  from  Persigny,  Prince  Napoleon  wishes  to 
come  to  Versailles  in  order  to  act  as  intermediary.  He 
is   a  highly    intelligent    and    amiable    gentleman,  but 


440      RUSSIAN  DEMANDS  TO  BE  SUPPORTED    [Jan.  7,1871 

enjoys  little  consideration  in  France,  and  therefore  the 
Chancellor  declined  to  negotiate  with  him.  In  the 
London  Conference  on  the  Black  Sea  question  we  are  to 
give  every  possible  support  to  Russia's  demands.  The 
Dowager  Queen  at  Dresden  has  suggested  to  Eichmann 
(the  Prussian  Minister)  that  it  would  be  an  indication 
of  confidence  in  Saxony  if  we  were  to  allow  them  to 
garrison  Konigstein  with  Saxon  troops  alone. 

Saturday^  January  7  th. — Haber  suggested  that 
possibly  some  political  documents  of  importance  for  us 
might  be  found  in  Odillon  Barrot's  house  at  Bougival. 
I  asked  the  Minister's  permission  to  go  over  there  with 
Bucher.  He  replied  :  "  That  is  all  very  well,  but  is  it 
a  private  library  ?  I  must  preserve  the  things  for  M. 
Odillon  Barrot.  But  you  can  see  if  there  is  anything 
political  amongst  them."  It  proved  on  examination  to 
be  a  well-chosen  library,  containing  historical  and 
political  works,  as  well  as  polite  literature.  It  included 
also  a  number  of  English  books,  but  contained  nothing 
of  the  character  suspected  by  Haber. 

This  evening  the  Minister  dines  with  us  again. 

We  hear  at  tea  that  the  bombardment  of  the  forts 
on  the  north  side  of  Paris  has  also  begun,  and  shows 
good  results.  Fires  have  broken  out  in  Vaugirard  and 
Crenelles — whence  probably  the  smoke  arose  which 
we  saw  yesterday  from  the  hills  between  Ville  d'Avray 
and  Sevres. 

Keudell  thinks  I  ought  to  tell  the  Chief.  I  go  up 
to  him  at  a  quarter  to  11.  He  thanks  me,  and  then 
asks,  "What  time  is  it?"  I  answer  "Nearly  11, 
Excellency."  "  Well,  then,  tell  Keudell  to  prepare  the 
communication  for  the  King."  I  ascertain  down  stairs 
that  this  is  a  complaint  that  by  1 1  o'clock  at  night  the 
military  authorities    have    not   communicated   to    the 


Jan.  8, 1 871  ]       THE  PLEASURES  OF  THE  TABLE  441 


Minister   matters   of    which    civilians    were     informed 
at  2  P.M. 

Sunday,  January  Sth. — At  dinner  the  Chief  gave 
some  further  reminiscences  of  his  youth.  He  spent  the 
time  from  his  sixth  to  his  twelfth  year  at  the  Plahmann 
Institute  in  Berlin,  an  educational  establishment  worked 
on  the  principles  of  Pestalozzi  and  Jahn.  It  was  a 
period  he  could  not  think  of  with  pleasure.  The 
regime  was  artificially  Spartan.  While  there  he  never 
fully  satisfied  his  hunger,  except  when  he  was  invited 
out.  "  The  meat  was  like  india-rubber,  not  exactly 
hard,  but  too  much  for  one's  teeth.  And  carrots — I 
liked  them  raw, — but  cooked,  and  with  hard  potatoes, 
square  junks  ! " 

This  led  up  to  the  pleasures  of  the  table,  the  Chief 
giving  his  views  chiefly  of  certain  •  varieties  of  fish. 
He  had  a  pleasant  recollection  of  fresh-river  lampreys, 
of  which  he  could  eat  eight  or  ten  ;  he  then  praised 
schnapel,  a  kind  of  whiting,  and  the  Elbe  salmon,  the 
latter  being  "  a  happy  mean  between  the  Baltic  salmon 
and  that  of  the  Rhine,  which  is  too  rich  for  me." 
With  regard  to  bankers'  dinners,  "  nothing  is  considered 
good  unless  it  is  dear, — no  carp  because  it  is  compara- 
tively cheap  in  Berlin,  but  zander  (a  kind  of  perch- 
pike)  because  it  is  difficult  to  carry.  As  a  matter  of 
fact  I  do  not  care  for  these,  and  just  as  little  for 
lampreys,  of  which  the  flesh  is  too  soft  for  me.  But  I 
could  eat  marena  every  day  of  the  week.  I  almost 
prefer  them  to  trout,  of  which  I  only  like  those  of  a 
medium  size,  weighing  about  half-a-pound.  The  large 
ones  that  are  usually  served  at  dinners  in  Frankfurt, 
and  which  mostly  come  from  the  Wolfsbriinnen  near 
Heidelberg,  are  not  worth  much.  They  are  expensive, 
and  so  one  must  have  them.     That's   also  the  way  at 


442     BISMARCK'S  FIRST  NE  WSPAPER  ARTICLE    [Jan.  8, 1871 

Court  with  oysters.  They  don't  eat  any  in  England 
when  the  Queen  is  present,  as  they  are  too  cheap 
there." 

The  conversation  then  turned  on  the  Arc  de 
Triomphe  in  Paris,  which  was  compared  with  the 
Brandenburg  Gate.  The  Chief  said  of  the  latter  :  "  It 
is  really  beautiful  in  its  way — particularly  without  the 
two  pillared  porticos.  I  have  advised  the  King  to  let 
it  stand  free,  and  have  the  guard  houses  removed.  It 
would  be  much  more  effective,  as  it  would  no  longer  be 
squeezed  in  and  partly  concealed  as  it  is  now." 

Wagener  having  mentioned  his  former  journalistic 
work,  the  Minister  said  :  "I  know  my  first  newspaper 
article  was  about  shooting.  At  that  time  I  was  still  a 
wild  junker.  Some  one  had  written  a  spiteful  article 
on  sport,  which  set  my  blood  boiling,  so  that  I  sat  down 
and  wrote  a  reply,  which  I  handed  to  Altvater,  the 
editor,  but  without  success.  He  answered  very  politely, 
but  said  it  would  not  do,  he  could  not  accept  it.  I  was 
beside  myself  with  indignation  that  any  one  should  be 
at  liberty  to  attack  sportsmen  without  being  obliged  to 
listen  to  their  reply  ;  but  so  it  was  at  that  time." 

The  defence  put  forward  by  the  Luxemburg  Govern- 
ment in  reply  to  our  complaints  respecting  breaches  of 
neutrality  is  insufHcient.  It  perhaps  shows  the  good 
will  of  that  Government,  but  certainly  the  facts  prove 
that  they  are  not  able  to  maintain  their  own  neutrality. 
They  have  been  again  warned,  further  evidence  being 
given  in  support  of  our  charges.  If  this  does  not  prove 
effective,  we  shall  be  obliged  to  occupy  the  Grand 
Duchy,  and  hand  over  his  passports  to  the  Grand  Ducal 
Minister  in  Berlin.  A  communication  to  the  same  effect 
has  been  made  to  the  Powers  that  signed  the  Treaty  of 
1867.     According  to  a  memorandum  in  which  the  Chief 


Jan.  9,  1871]      PRINCE  NAPOLEON  HAS  A  PLAN  443 

proposed  to  the  King  that  the  statesmen  who  concluded 
the  treaties  providing  for  the  accession  of  Baden  and 
Wiirtemberg  to  the  North  German  Confederation  should 
receive  decorations,  an  exception  was  to  be  made  in  the 
case  of  Dalwigk,  because  he  had  constantly  intrigued 
and  worked  against  Prussia  and  the  cause  of  German 
unity,  and  only  finally  gave  way  on  the  compulsion  of 
necessity ;  and  his  decoration  would,  therefore,  have  a 
bad  effect  upon  public  opinion,  which  had  frequently 
urged  the  exercise  of  Prussian  influence  to  secure  his 
dismissal. 

Monday,  January  Qth. — It  is  reported  from  London 
that  Prince  Napoleon  has  a  plan  under  consideration  for 
concluding  on  his  own  authority  a  peace  satisfactory  to 
us,  and  then  after  the  capitulation  of  Paris  convoking 
the  two  Chambers  to  ratify  the  treaty,  and  to  decide 
upon  the  future  form  of  government,  and  eventually 
upon  the  future  dynasty.  This  plan  would  be  supported 
by  Vinoy  and  Ducrot.  The  Orleanists  are  also  active, 
and  hope  to  win  over  Thiers  to  their  side.  Bernstorff 
reports  that  it  has  been  ascertained  from  a  servant  of 
Dr.  Reitlinger,  Favre's  secretary,  that  he  has  endeavoured 
to  hatch  a  democratic  conspiracy  in  South  Germany. 
Gladstone  has  received  Reitlinger,  and  j)rt)mised  to 
support  him  in  every  possible  way. 

In  the  afternoon  I  drafted  a  telegram  as  to  the 
further  successful  progress  of  the  bombardment.  On 
submitting  it  to  the  Chief,  he  struck  out  a  passage  in 
which  it  was  mentioned  that  our  shells  had  fallen  in  the 
Luxemburg  Gardens,  as  being  "  impolitic."  He  also 
instructed  me  to  telegraph  to  the  Foreign  Office  in 
Berlin  to  omit  this  passage  from  the  report  of  the 
general  staff". 

The  following  pretty  story   is   making  the  round  of 


444  THE  IRON  CROSS  [Jan.  9,  187 1 

the  newspapers.  It  is  taken  from  the  private  letter  of 
a  German  officer,  and  was  first  published  in  the  Leipziger 
Tagehlatt.  "  One  day  the  aide-de-camp,  Count  Lehn- 
dorfF,  visited  Captain  von  Strantz  at  one  of  the  out- 
posts at  Ville  d'Avray,  near  Paris.  In  reply  to  the 
Count's  question  as  to  how  he  was  getting  on,  the 
Captain  said  :  '  Oh,  very  well  ;  I  have  just  been  dining 
for  the  sixty-seventh  time  off  roast  mutton.'  The 
Count  laughed,  and  after  a  while  drove  off  again.  Next 
day  a  policeman  called  upon  the  captain  with  the 
following  message  :  '  It  having  come  to  the  knowledge 
of  his  Excellency  Count  Bismarck,  Chancellor  of  the 
Confederation,  that  Captain  von  Strantz  would  doubt- 
less be  dining  to-day  off  his  sixty-eighth  joint  of  roast 
mutton,  his  Excellency  sends  him  herewith  four  ducks 
as  a  change  of  menu.'  "  This  anecdote  has  the  advantage 
over  most  of  those  appearing  in  the  press,  that  it  is  in 
the  main  correct.  But  the  policeman  did  not  call  on 
the  next  day.  Count  Lehndorff  dined  with  us  a  few 
days  before  Christmas. 

The  Chief  was  shaved  as  usual  on  coming  to  dinner 
to-day.  He  first  mentioned  that  Count  Bill  had  received 
the  Iron  Cross,  and  seemed  to  think  that  it  should  more 
properly  have  been  given  to  his  elder  son,  as  he  was 
wounded  in  the  cavalry  charge  at  Mars  la  Tour.  "  The 
wound  was  an  accident,"  he  went  on,  "  and  others  who 
were  not  wounded  may  have  been  equally  brave.  But 
it  is,  after  all,  a  distinction,  a  kind  of  compensation  for 
the  wounded."  "  I  remember  when  I  was  a  young  man 
that  one  Herr  von  Eeuss  went  about  Berlin  also  wearing 
the  Cross.  I  thought  to  myself  what  wonders  he  must 
have  done ;  but  I  afterwards  ascertained  that  he  had  an 
uncle  who  was  a  Minister,  and  he  had  been  attached  to 
the  general  staff  as  a  kind  of  private  aide-de-camp." 


Jan.9,  iSyi]      THREE  DEGREES  OF  COMPARISON  445 

The  Chancellor  suddenly  remarked;  ''It  must  be 
three  weeks  since  I  saw  Serenissimus.^  It  is  not  so 
long  since  I  saw  Serenior.^  I  cut  the  Sereni."  The 
Chancellor  then  continued,  obviously  with  reference  to 
the  Sereni,  that  is  the  Princes  at  the  Hotel  des  Reser- 
voirs, or  one  of  them,  but  without  any  connecting 
sentence  :  "  I  remember  at  Gottingen  I  once  called  a 
student  a  silly  youngster,  (Dummer  Junge,  the  recog- 
nised form  of  offence  when  it  is  intended  to  provoke  a 
duel.)  On  his  sending  me  his  challenge  I  said  I  had 
not  wished  to  offend  him  by  the  remark  that  he  was  a 
silly  youngster,  but  merely  to  express  my  conviction." 

While  we  were  discussing  pheasant  and  sauerkraut 
some  one  remarked  that  the  Minister  had  not  been  out 
shooting  for  a  long  time,  although  the  woods  between 
Versailles  and  Paris  were  full  of  game.  "  Yes,"  he 
replied,  "  something  has  always  happened  to  prevent 
me.  The  last  time  was  at  Ferrieres,  the  King  was  away 
and  he  had  forbidden  shooting,  that  is  to  say,  in  the 
park,  just  as  he  has  now  given  orders  that  Ferrieres 
must  be  spared,  merely  because  it  belongs  to  a  rich  Jew. 
We  did  not  go  into  the  park,  and  there  was  plenty  of 
game,  but  not  much  of  it  was  shot  as  the  cartridges 
were  bad."  Holstein,  who,  by  the  way,  turns  out  to  be 
exceedingly  amiable,  hard-working  and  helpful,  re- 
marked :  "  This  is  the  account  given  of  the  affair, 
Excellency.  You  were  aware  of  his  Majesty's  orders,  and 
of  course  desired  to  obey  them.  But  it  unfortunately 
happened  as  you  were  taking  a  walk  on  one  occasion 
you  were  suddenly  set  upon  by  three  or  four  pheasants 
and  were  obliged  to  shoot  them  down  in  self-defence." 

The  French  Rothschild  recalled  the  German  one,  of 
whom   the   Chief  related  a   very   amusing  story.     He 

1  The  Kincr.  2  The  Crown  Prince. 


446  BISMARCK  AND  ROTHSCHILD  [Jan.  9,1871 

said  :  "  When  tlie  members  of  the  Reichstag  were  here 
recently,  I  was  seated  next  to  Rothschild  at  the  Crown 
Prince's.  The  Prince  sat  next  to  me,  and  on  his  other 
side  was  Simson.  Rothschild  smokes  a  great  deal,  and 
smelt  of  that  and  other  things,  and  so  I  thought  I  would 
play  a  little  practical  joke  before  we  sat  down.  But  it 
did  not  succeed.  It  is  only  after  dinner  that  stewards 
of  the  household  begin  to  be  sensil^le  and  listen  to  a 
body.  I  had  my  revenge  however,  by  letting  my 
neighbour  have  the  benefit  of  my  remarks.  I  said  to 
him,  '  You  should  have  a  house  in  Berlin,  and  invite 
people  to  see  you,  and  so  on.'  '  What  do  you  mean  ? ' 
he  asked,  in  a  loud  and  almost  angry  voice.  '  Am  I  to 
give  dinners  in  a  restaurant  ? '  '  Well,  you  might  do 
that  too,'  I  replied,  '  but  to  other  people,  not  to  me.  In 
my  opinion  you  owe  it  to  the  credit  of  your  house.  But 
the  best  thing  would  be  to  have  a  place  of  your  own  in 
Berlin.  You  know  there  is  nothing  to  be  expected  any 
longer  from  the  Paris  and  London  Rothschilds,  and  so 
you  ought  to  do  something  in  Berlin.  People  are  con- 
stantly surprised  that  you  have  not  yet  got  into  the 
Almanach  de  Gotha.  Of  course,  what  has  not  been  done 
up  to  now  may  yet  happen,  but  I  am  afraid  you  are  not 
going  the  right  way  to  work." 

Finally  polite  literature  came  to  be  discussed,  and 
Spielhagen's  "  Problematische  Naturen "  was  men- 
tioned. The  Chancellor  had  read  it,  and  did  not  think 
badly  of  it,  but  he  said  :  "I  shall  certainly  not  read 
it  a  second  time.  One  has  absolutely  no  time  here. 
Otherwise  a  much-occupied  Minister  might  well  take  up 
such  a  book  and  forget  his  despatches  over  it  for  a 
couple  of  hours."  Frcytag's  "  Soil  und  Haben  "  was 
also  mentioned,  and  his  description  of  the  Polish  riots, 
as  well  as  the  story  of  the  bread-and-butter  miss  and  the 


Jan.  lo,  1871]       THE  CHANCELLOR  ON  GOETHE  447 

ball,  were  praised,  while  his  heroes  were  considered 
insipid.  One  said  they  had  no  passion,  and  another  no 
souls.  Abeken,  who  took  an  active  part  in  the  conver- 
sation, observed  that  he  could  not  read  any  of  these 
things  twice,  and  that  most  of  the  well-known  modern 
authors  had  only  produced  one  good  book  apiece.  "  Well," 
said  the  Chief,  "  I  could  also  make  you  a  present  of 
three-fourths  of  Goethe — the  remainder,  certainly — I 
should  like  to  live  for  a  long  spell  on  a  desert  island 
with  seven  or  eight  volumes  out  of  the  forty."  Fritz 
Renter  was  then  referred  to,  and  the  Minister  remarked, 
"  Uit  de  Franzosentid,"  very  pretty  but  not  a  novel.'' 
"  Stromtid  "  was  also  mentioned.  "  H'm,"  said  the 
Chief,  "Z)ai  is  as  dat  ledder  is"  (that's  just  how  it  is, 
a  favourite  expression  of  one  of  the  characters  in  the 
book) — that,  it  is  true,  is  a  novel,  and  it  contains  many 
good  and  others  indifferent,  but  all  through  the  peasants 
are  described  exactly  as  they  are." 

In  the  evening  I  translated  for  the  King  a  long 
article  from  Tlie  Times  on  the  situation  in  Paris. 
Afterwards  at  tea  Keudell  spoke  very  well  and  sensibly 
of  certain  qualities  of  the  Chancellor,  who  reminded  him 
of  Achilles,  his  great  gifts,  the  youthfulness  of  his 
character,  his  quickness  of  temper,  his  tendency  to 
Weltschmerz^  his  inclination  to  withdraw  from  great 
affairs  and  his  invariably  victorious  action.  Our  times 
could  boast  a  Troy,  and  also  an  Agamemnon,  shepherd 
of  the  nations. 

Tuesday,  Januai^y  10  th. — Earth  and  sky  are  full 
of  snow.  A  shot  is  only  to  be  heard  now  and  again 
from  our  batteries,  or  from  the  forts.  Count  Bill  is  here, 
and  General  von  ManteufFel  calls  at  1  o'clock.  They 
are  passing  through  on  their  way  to  the  army  that  is  to 
operate  against  Bourbaki  in  the  south-east  under  Man- 


448  Q UEEN  AUGUSTA  [ Jan.  i o,  1 87 1 

teuffel.  During  the  afternoon  I  telegraph  twice  to 
London  reporting  the  retreat  of  Chanzy  at  Le  Mans, 
with  the  loss  of  a  thousand  men  who  were  made 
prisoners,  and  Werder's  victorious  resistance  at  Viller- 
sexel  to  a  superior  French  force  advancing  to  the  relief 
of  Belfort. 

The  first  subject  mentioned  at  dinner  is  the  bom- 
bardment. The  Chief  holds  that  most  of  the  Paris 
forts  are  of  little  importance,  except  perhaps  Mont 
Valerien — "  Not  much  more  than  the  redoubts  at 
DUppel."  That  is  to  say  the  moats  are  not  very  deep, 
and  formerly  the  walls  were  also  weak.  The  conversa- 
tion then  turns  on  the  International  League  of  Peace 
and  its  connection  with  social  democracy  as  shown  by 
the  fact  that  Karl  Marx,  who  is  now  living  in  London, 
has  been  appointed  President  of  the  German  branch, 
Bucher  describes  Marx  as  an  intelligent  man  with  a 
good  scientific  education  and  the  real  leader  of  the 
international  labour  movement.  With  reference  to  the 
League  of  Peace  the  Chief  says  that  its  efforts  are  all 
of  an  equivocal  character,  and  that  its  aims  are  some- 
thing very  different  to  peace.  It  is  a  cloak  for 
communism.  "  But,"  he  concludes,  "  certain  august 
personages  have  even  now  no  idea  of  that.  Foreign 
countries  and  peace  !"  In  this  connection  he  referred 
to  the  influence  and  attitude  of  Queen  Augusta. 

Count  Bill,  according  to  the  Chief,  "  looks  from  a 
distance  like  an  old  staff  officer,  he  is  so  stout."  He  was 
very  lucky  in  being  selected  to  accompany  Manteuffel. 
Of  course,  it  would  only  be  a  temporary  billet,  but  he 
would  see  a  great  deal  of  the  war.  "  For  his  age  he  has 
a  good  opportunity  to  learn  something.  That  was 
impossible  for  one  of  us  at  eighteen.  I  should  have 
been  born  in  1795  to  have  taken  part  in  the  campaign 


Jan.  ro,  187 1]  BISMARCK'S  ANCESTORS 


449 


of  1813."     "Nevertheless  since  the  battle  of — (I  could 
not  catch  the  name,  but  he  referred  apparently  to  an 
engagement  in  the  Huguenot  War)  there  was  not  one  of 
my  ancestors    who  did   not    draw  the   sword    against 
France.       My  father  and    three   of   his  brothers  were 
engaged  against  Napoleon  I.       Then    my  grandfather 
fought   at   Rossbach ;    my   great    grandfather    against 
Louis  XIV.,  and  his  father  against  the  same  King  in 
the  little  war  on  the  Rhine  in  1672  or   1673.      Then 
several  of  us  fought  on  the  imperial  side  in  the  Thirty 
Years'  War,  others,  it  is  true,  joining  the  Swedes.     And 
finally  still  another    was    amongst    the    Germans  who 
fought  as  mercenaries   on  the  Huguenot  side.      One — 
there   is   a   picture    of   him    at    Schonhausen  with  his 
children — was  an   original  character.       I   still    have  a 
letter  from  him  to  his  brother-in-law  in  which  he  says, 
'  The  cask   of  Rhine  wine  costs  me  eighty  reichsthalers. 
If   my  worthy  brother-in-law  considers  that  too    dear 
I  will,  so  God  spares  me,  drink  it  myself.'     And  another 
time  :  '  If  my  worthy  brother-in-law  maintains  so-and- 
so,  I  hope,  so  God  preserves  me,  to  come  into  closer 
contact  with  his  person  than  will  be  pleasant  to  him.' 
And    again   in   another  place:    'I   have    spent   12,000 
reichsthalers  on  the  regiment,  but  I  hope,  if  God  spares 
me,  to  make  as  much  out  of  it  in  time.'     The  economies 
referred  to  consisted  probably  in  drawing  pay  for  men 
who  were  on  furlough  or  who  only  existed  on  paper. 
Certainly  the  commander  of  a  regiment  was  better  off 
at  that  time  than  now."     Some  one  observed  that  was 
also  the  rule  at  a  later  period,  so  long  as  regiments  were 
recruited,  paid,  and  clad  by  the  colonels  and  hired  by 
the  Princes,  and  possibly  the  same  thing  still  happened 
in   other  countries.     The   Chief :  "  Yes,  in  Russia    for 
instance,  in  the  great  cavalry  regiments  in  the  Southern 

VOL.    I  G    G 


450  OFFICERS'  PERQUISITES  IN  RUSSIA     [Jan.  lo,  1871 

provinces  which  often  have  as  many  as  sixteen  squad- 
rons. There  the  colonel  had,  and  doubtless  yet  has 
other  sources  of  income.  A  German  once  told  me,  for 
instance,  that  on  a  new  colonel  taking  over  the  command 
of  a  regiment — I  believe  it  was  in  Kursk  or  Woronesch 
— the  peasants  of  this  wealthy  district  came  to  him 
with  waggons  full  of  straw  and  hay,  and  begged  the 
'  little  father '  to  be  gracious  enough  to  accept  them. 
'  I  did  not  know  what  they  wanted,'  said  the  colonel, 
and  so  I  told  them  to  be  off  and  leave  me  in  peace. 
But  the  '  little  father '  ought  to  be  fair,  they  urged,  his 
predecessor  had  been  satisfied  with  that  much,  and  they 
could  not  give  more,  as  they  were  poor  people.  At 
length  I  got  tired  of  it,  particularly  as  they  became  very 
pressing  and  went  down  on  their  knees  entreating  me 
to  accept  it,  and  I  had  them  bundled  out  of  doors. 
But  then  others  came  with  loads  of  wheat  and  oats. 
Then  I  understood  what  was  meant,  and  took  everything 
as  my  predecessor  had  done,  and  when  the  first  lot 
returned  with  more  hay  I  told  them  that  what  they  had 
brought  before  was  enough  and  they  could  take  back 
the  rest.  And  thus  I  secured  an  annual  sum  of  20,000 
roubles,  as  I  charged  the  Government  for  the  hay  and 
oats  required  by  the  regiment.'  He  related  that  quite 
frankly  and  unabashed  in  a  drawing-room  in  St.  Peters- 
burg, and  I  was  the  only  one  who  was  surprised  at  it." 
"  But  what  could  he  have  done  to  the  peasants  ? "  asked 
Delbriick.  "  He  himself  could  have  done  nothing," 
replied  the  Chief,  "  but  he  might  have  ruined  them  in 
another  way.  He  only  required  not  to  forbid  the 
soldiers  to  take  what  they  liked  from  them." 

Manteuffel  was  again  spoken  of,  and  somebody  men- 
tioned that  he  had  broken  his  leg  at  Metz,  and  had  to  be 
carried  on  the  battle-field.  Manteuffel  was  greatly  surprised 


Jan.  lo,  i87i]  DIPLOMATIC  GAMBLING  451 

that  we  iiad  not  known  this,  and  the  Minister  remarked 
that  he  must  certainly  have  thought  us  very  badly 
informed  as  to  the  incidents  of  the  war.     Later  on  the 

Chief  said  :  "  I  remember  how  I  sat  with  him  and (I 

did  not  catch  the  name)  on  the  stones  outside  the  Church 
at  Blekstein.  The  King  came  up,  and  I  proposed  that 
we  should  greet  him  like  the  three  witches  in  Macbeth  : 
'  Hail,  Thane  of  Lauenburg  !  Hail,  Thane  of  Kiel !  Hail, 
Thane  of  Schleswig  ! '  It  was  when  I  was  negotiating 
the  Treaty  of  Gastein  with  Blome,  I  then  played  quinze 
for  the  last  time  in  my  life.  Although  I  had  not  played 
then  for  a  long  time,  I  gambled  recklessly,  so  that  the 
others  were  astounded.  But  I  knew  what  I  was  at. 
Blome  had  heard  that  quinze  gave  the  best  opportunity 
of  testing  a  man's  character,  and  he  was  anxious  to  try 
the  experiment  on  me.  I  thought  to  myself,  I'll  teach 
him.  I  lost  a  few  hundred  thalers,  for  which  I  might 
well  have  claimed  reimbursement  from  the  State  as 
having  been  expended  on  his  Majesty's  service.  But  I 
got  round  Blome  in  that  way,  and  made  him  do  what  I 
wanted.     He  took  me  to  be  reckless,  and  yielded." 

The  conversation  then  turned  upon  Berlin,  some  one 
having  remarked  that  it  was  from  year  to  year  assuming 
more  the  appearance  of  a  great  capital,  also  in  its  senti- 
ments and  way  of  thinking,  a  circumstance  which  to 
some  extent  reacted  on  its  Parliamentary  representatives. 
"  They  have  greatly  altered  during  the  last  five  years," 
said  Delbrlick.  "  That  is  true,"  said  the  Chief;  "  but  in 
1862,  when  I  first  had  to  deal  with  those  gentlemen,  they 
recognised  what  a  hearty  contempt  I  entertained  for 
them,  and  they  have  never  become  friends  with  me 
again." 

The  Jews  then  came  to  be  discussed,  and  the  Minister 
wished  to  know  how  it  was  that  the  name  Meier  was  so 

Ct  G  2 


452  INTERMARRIAGE   WITH  JEWS       [Jan.  lo,  1871 

common  amongst  them.  That  name  was  after  all  of 
German  origin,  and  in  Westphalia  it  meant  a  landed 
proprietor,  yet  formerly  the  Jews  owned  no  land,  I 
submitted  that  the  word  was  of  Hebrew  origin  and 
occurred  in  the  Old  Testament  and  also  in  the  Talmud, 
being  properly  Meir  and  akin  to  "  Or,"  i.e.,  light, 
brilliance,  whence  the  signification  of  Enlightened, 
Brilliant,  Radiant.  The  Chief  then  inquired  the  mean- 
ing of  Kohn,  a  name  very  common  amongst  them  also. 
I  said  it  signified  Priest,  and  was  originally  Kohen. 
From  Kohen  it  became  Kohn,  Kuhn,  Cahen,  and  Kahn. 
Kohn  and  Kahn  were  also  occasionally  transformed  into 
Hahn,  a  remark  which  caused  some  amusement  as  it  pro- 
bably reminded  the  company  of  the  "  Presshahn," 
who  is  at  the  head  of  the  Berlin  Literary  Bureau.  "  I 
am  of  opinion,"  continued  the  Minister,  "  that  to  prevent 
mischief,  the  Jews  will  have  to  be  rendered  innocuous  by 
cross  breeding.  The  results  are  not  bad."  He  then 
mentioned  some  noble  houses,  Lynars,  Stirums,  Gusse- 
rows :  "  All  very  clever,  decent  people."  He  then 
reflected  for  a  while  and,  omitting  one  link  from  the 
chain  of  thought,  probably  the  marriage  of  distinguished 
Christian  ladies  to  rich  or  talented  Israelites,  he  pro- 
ceeded :  "It  is  better  the  other  way  on.  One  ought  to 
put  a  Jewish  mare  to  a  Christian  stallion  of  German 
breed.  The  money  must  be  brought  into  circulation 
again,  and  the  race  is  not  at  all  bad.  I  do  not  know 
what  I  shall  one  day  advise  my  sons  to  do." 

I  spent  the  whole  time  after  dinner  at  work,  princi- 
pally reading  despatches.  The  Rumanian  (Prince 
Charles)  has  sent  the  Chancellor  a  letter,  written  in 
his  own  hand,  requesting  advice  in  his  difficulties.  He 
seems  to  be  in  the  greatest  perplexity,  and  the  Powers 
will  not  help  him.     England  and  Austria  are  at  least 


Jan.  lo,  1871]    BISMARCK  AND  THE  GENERAL  STAFF      453 

indifferent;  the  Porte  is  inclined  to  look  upon  the 
unification  of  the  Principalities  as  to  its  interests ; 
France  is  now  of  no  account ;  the  Tsar  Alexander  is,  it 
is  true,  well-disposed  to  Prince  Charles  but  will  not 
interfere ;  and  intervention  on  the  part  of  Germany, 
who  has  no  practical  interests  in  Rumania,  is  not  to  be 
expected.  Therefore,  if  the  Prince  cannot  help  himself 
out  of  his  difficulties,  he  had  better  retire  before  he  is 
obliged  to.  Such  was  the  counsel  addressed  to  him  by 
the  Chief  througrh  Keudell.  Beust  has  been  informed 
of  this.  It  would  appear  that  Beust's  despatch  in 
reply  to  the  announcement  of  the  approaching  union 
of  South  Germany  with  the  North,  shows  a  new 
departure  in  his  political  views,  and  it  is  possible  that 
even  under  him  satisfactory  relations  may  be  developed 
and  maintained  between  the  two  newly-organised 
Powers,  Germany  and  Austria-Hungary.  He  reported 
that  a  new  comic  paper,  Der  Bismarck,  was  being 
founded  in  Vienna,  and  that  he  would  do  everything 
in  his  power  to  prevent  this  abuse  of  the  name.  The 
Chief  has  recently  addressed  a  communication  to  the 
King  in  which  he  requests:  (l)  That  the  telegrams  of 
the  General  Staff"  before  being  despatched  to  Berlin 
should  be  submitted  to  him  and  his  approval  obtained, 
as  they  might  have  political  bearings — as,  for  example, 
in  the  case  of  the  shells  that  fell  in  the  Luxemburg 
Gardens.  (2)  That  he  should  receive  full  information 
of  the  course  of  military  operations,  instead  of  being 
indebted  for  detailed  particulars  to  the  newspapers  and 
private  persons.  Subalterns  and  members  of  the 
Ambulance  Corps  were  kept  better  informed  than  he. 
At  10.30  P.M.  the  Chief  comes  down  to  tea,  at 
which  Count  Bill  also  joins  us.  Abeken  returns  from 
Court  and  brings  the  news  that  the  fortress  of  Pdronne, 


454  MR.  COCKERELUS  MISADVENTURE     [Jan.  10,1871 

with  a  garrison  of  3,000  men,  has  capitulated.  The  Chief, 
who  was  just  looking  through  the  Ulustrirte  Zeitung, 
sighed  and  exclaimed  :  "  Another  3,000  !  If  one  could 
only  drown  them  in  the  Seine — or  at  least  their 
Commander,  who  has  broken  his  word  of  honour  ! " 

This  led  the  conversation  to  the  subject  of  the 
numerous  prisoners  in  Germany,  and  Holstein  said  it 
would  be  a  good  idea  to  hire  them  out  to  work  on  the 
Strousberg  railway.  "  Or,"  said  the  Chief,  "  if  the 
Tsar  could  be  induced  to  settle  them  in  military  colonies 
beyond  the  Caucasus.  It  is  said  to  be  a  very  fine 
country.  This  mass  of  prisoners  will  really  form  a 
difficulty  for  us  after  the  peace.  The  French  will  thus 
have  an  army  at  once,  and  one  fresh  from  a  long  rest. 
But  there  will  really  be  no  alternative.  We  shall  have 
to  give  them  back  to  Napoleon,  and  he  will  require 
200,000  men  as  a  Pretorian  Guard  to  maintain  him- 
self." "Does  he  then  really  expect  to  restore  the 
Empire  ?  "  asked  Holstein.  "  Oh,  very  much,"  replied 
the  Chief,  "  extremely,  quite  enormously  much.  He 
thinks  of  it  day  and  night,  and  the  people  in  England 
also." 

Holstein  then  related  how  certain  people  belonging 
to  the  English  Embassy  had  behaved  very  unbecomingly 
outside  the  place  where  the  French  prisoners  are  con- 
fined in  Spandau,  and  had  fared  badly  in  consequence. 
Cockerell  was  knocked  down  and  beaten  black  and  blue, 
so  that  he  afterwards  looked  "  quite  as  if  he  had  been 
painted."  Loftus  did  not  at  first  want  to  intervene, 
but  was  ultimately  induced  by  the  other  diplomats  to 
enter  a  complaint.  "  Did  they  give  this  Cockerell  a 
sound  hiding  ? "   asked   Count   Bill.     "  Oh,   certainly," 

replied  Holstein,  "  and  Miss  (name  escaped  me), 

who  tried  to  interfere  on  his  behalf,  also  received  a  few 


Jan.  II,  i87i]  M.  CLEMENT  DUVERNOIS  455 

blows."  "  Well,  I  am  glad  Cockerell  got  a  proper 
dressing,"  said  the  Chief,  "  it  will  do  him  good.  I  am 
sorry  for  the  lady.  But  it  is  a  pity  that  Loftus  "  (the 
British  Ambassador)  "  himself  did  not  get  thrashed  on 
the  occasion,  as  we  should  then  be  rid  of  him." 

Wednesday,  January  11th. — Bernstorff  reports 
that  Clement  Duvernois,  a  former  Minister  of  Napoleon, 
wishes  to  come  here  in  order  to  negotiate  for  peace  in 
the  name  of  the  Empress.  She  will  agree  in  principle  to 
the  cession  of  territory  and  the  new  frontier  demanded 
by  us,  and  also  to  the  payment  of  a  w^ar  indemnity  and 
the  occupation  of  a  certain  portion  of  France  by  our 
troops  until  it  is  paid,  and  will  promise  not  to  enter 
into  negotiations  respecting  peace  wdth  any  other  Power 
than  Germany.  Duvernois  is  of  opinion  that  although 
the  Empress  is  not  popular,  yet  she  would  act  energe- 
tically, and  as  a  legal  ruler  would  have  more  authority 
and  offer  us  a  better  security  than  any  person  elected 
by  and  dependent  upon  the  representatives  of  the 
country.  Duvernois  assisted  in  provisioning  Paris  and 
accordingly  knows  that  it  must  surrender  shortly,  and 
therefore  as  time  presses,  he  is  anxious  to  hurry  on 
negotiations.  Will  he  be  received  if  he  comes  ?  Perhaps, 
if  only  in  order  to  make  the  members  of  the  Government 
in  Paris  and  Bordeaux  more  yielding. 

During  dinner  the  bombardment  was  discussed,  as  is 
now  usually  the  case.  Paris  w^as  said  to  be  on  fire,  and 
some  one  had  clearly  seen  thick  columns  of  smoke  rising 
over  the  city.  "That  is  not  enough,"  said  the  Chief.  "  We 
must  first  smell  it  here.  When  Hamburg  was  burning 
the  smell  could  be  distinguished  five  German  miles  off." 
The  opposition  offered  by  the  "  Patriots  "  in  the  Bavarian 
Chamber  to  the  Versailles  Treaty  was  then  referred  to. 
The  Chief  said  :    "I  wish  I  could  go  there  and  speak  to 


456  THE  IMPERIAL  TITLE  [Jan.  12, 1871 

them.  They  have  obviously  got  into  a  false  position 
and  can  neither  advance  nor  retire.  I  have  already 
been  doing  my  best  to  bring  them  into  the  right  way. 
But  one  is  so  badly  wanted  here  in  order  to  prevent 
absurdities  and  to  preach  sense." 

Thursday,  January  12th. — At  dinner  the  conversa- 
tion again  turned  on  the  bombardment.  On  somebody 
observing  that  the  French  complain  of  our  aiming  at 
their  hospitals,  the  Chief  said  :  "  That  is  certainly  not 
done  intentionally.  They  have  hospitals  near  the 
Pantheon  and  the  Val  de  Grace,  and  it  is  possible  that 
a  few  shells  may  have  fallen  there  accidentally.  H'm, 
Pantheon,  Pandemonium  ?  "  Abeken  had  heard  that 
the  Bavarians  intended  to  storm  one  of  the  south-eastern 
forts  that  had  returned  our  fire  in  a  weak  way.  The 
Chief  commended  the  Bavarians,  adding  :  "  If  I  were 
only  in  Munich  now,  I  would  bring  that  home  to  their 
members  of  Parliament  in  such  a  way  that  I  should  im- 
mediately win  them  over  to  our  side." 

The  Chancellor  then  told  us  that  the  King  preferred 
the  title  "  Emperor  of  Germany  "  to  that  of  "  German 
Emperor."  "  I  gave  him  to  understand  that  I  did  not 
care  a  brass  farthing.  He  was  of  a  different  opinion. 
Eather  the  country  than  the  people.  I  then  explained 
to  him  that  the  first  would  be  a  new  title  and  would 
at  least  have  no  historical  basis.  There  had  never  been 
an  Emperor  of  Germany,  and  though  it  was  true  there 
had  also  been  no  German  Emperor,  there  had  been  a 
German  King."  Bucher  confirmed  that  statement  and 
remarked  that  Charlemagne  assumed  the  title  of  "  Im- 
perator  Komanorum."  Subsequently  the  Emperor  was 
called  "  Imperator  Romanus,  semper  augustus,  and 
German  King." 

At  11  P.M.  the  King  sent  the  Chief  a  pencil  note  in 


Jan.  13,  i87i]  THE  POPE'S  ATTITUDE  457 

his  own  handwriting  on  a  half  sheet  of  letter  paper, 
informing  him  that  we  had  just  won  a  great  victory  at 
Le  Mans.  The  Minister,  who  was  visibly  pleased  and 
touched  at  this  attention,  said  as  he  handed  me  the  slip 
of  pa]3er  in  order  that  I  should  telegraph  the  news  : 
"  He  thinks  the  General  Staff  will  not  let  me  know,  and 
so  he  writes  himself." 

Friday,  January  13th. — Arnim  sends  a  florid  ac- 
count from  Kome  of  the  visit  paid  by  Victor  Emmanuel 
to  the  Eternal  City.  He  mentions  a  report  received 
from  the  Nuncio  at  Bordeaux  respecting  an  attempt  by 
the  Government  Delegation  in  that  city  to  secure  the 
intervention  of  the  Pope  for  the  purpose  of  negotiating 
a  peace.  The  Cardinal  in  communicating  this  to  the 
Minister  added  that  the  French  are  now  disposed  to 
make  greater  concessions  than  at  Ferrieres,  and  asked  if 
in  principle  the  Pope's  mediation  would  be  agreeable  to 
us.  Arnim  replied  that  the  French  Government  knew 
our  conditions  and  could  conclude  peace  at  any  time  on 
that  basis.  Arnim  states  that  the  efforts  made  by  the 
Curia  on  behalf  of  peace  are  sincere,  but  are  based  on 
interested  motives.  The  Cardinal  asked  if  it  was  not 
intended  to  grant  France  any  compensation  for  the 
proposed  cession  of  territory,  whereupon  Arnim  replied 
that  we  had  no  right  to  dispose  of  the  territory  of  other 
States.  The  Cardinal  obviously  had  Italy  in  view,  and 
meant  that  France  should  indemnify  herself  by  an- 
nexing Piedmont  and  reinstating  the  Pope  in  Eome. 
The  despatch  concludes  as  follows  :  "  My  presence  here 
complicates  our  position,  as  it  awakens  hopes  that  cannot 
be  realised,  and  maintains  intimate  relations  that  clog 
our  footsteps  without  making  the  ground  upon  which 
we  stand  any  firmer."  Thile  reports  that  Queen 
Augusta  told  him  the  sinking  of  the  English  coal  ships 


458  THE  KING  AND  HIS  NEW  TITLE      [Jan.  13, 1871 

near  Rouen  had  made  more  bad  blood  in  England  than 
was  believed  here.  The  Crown  Princess  knew  from  the 
letters  of  her  mother  that  sympathy  for  our  cause  was 
daily  decreasing  there.  Thile  replied  that  he  was  sur- 
prised to  hear  it,  as  Bernstorff  made  no  mention 
of  it. 

We  are  joined  at  dinner  by  Regierungsprasident  von 
Ernsthausen,  a  portly  gentleman,  still  young,  and  by 
the  Chief,  who  is  to  dine  with  the  Crown  Prince,  and 
only  remains  until  the  Varzin  ham  comes  to  table, 
of  which  he  partakes  "  for  the  sake  of  home  memories." 
Turning  to  Ernsthausen,  he  says  :  "I  am  invited  to  the 
Crown  Prince's,  but  before  going  there  I  have  another 
important  interview  for  which  I  must  strengthen 
myself."  "  AVednesday  will  be  the  18th,  and  the 
Festival  of  the  Orders,  so  we  can  publish  the  proclama- 
tion to  the  German  people  on  that  day."  (The  Pro- 
clamation of  Emperor  and  Empire,  upon  which  Bucher 
is  now  at  work.)  (To  Ernsthausen) :  "  The  King  is  still 
in  doubt  about  '  German  Emperor '  or  '  Emperor  of 
Germany.'  He  inclines  to  the  latter.  But  it  does  not 
appear  to  me  that  there  is  much  difference  between  the 
two  titles.  It  is  like  the  Homousios  or  Homoiousios  in 
the  Councils  of  the  Church."  Abeken  corrected : 
"Homousios."  The  Chief:  "We  pronounce  it  oi.  In 
Saxony  they  have  the  lotacism.  I  remember  in  our 
school  there  was  a  pupil  from  Chemnitz  who  read  that 
way  "  (and  he  then  quoted  a  Greek  sentence),  "  but  the 
teacher  said  to  him  '  Stop  !  That  won't  do  !  We  don't 
hail  here  from  Saxony.'  " 

After  dinner  I  read  the  latest  despatches  and  some 
older  drafts.  Those  of  special  interest  were  instructions 
from  the  Chief  to  the  Minister  of  Commerce  that  the 
amount  expended  for  the  provisioning  of  Paris  could 


Jan.  13,  i87i]       TRANSPORTATION  DIFFICULTIES  459 

not  be  included  in  the  Budget ;  and  a  memorandum  in 
which  Moltke  defended  the  supply  of  provisions  for  the 
Parisians.  The  2,800  waggons  with  provisions  were,  he 
says,  not  intended  solely  for  the  Parisians,  but  also  for 
our  own  troops — for  the  former  seven  million  rations  of 
two  pounds  each  for  three  days — and  it  would  be  well 
if  there  were  still  more  waggons  in  France,  The  Chief 
returned  from  the  Crown  Prince's  at  9.30  p.m.,  and 
shortly  afterwards  he  instructed  me  to  telegraph  that 
we  had  made  8,000  prisoners  at  Le  Mans,  and  captured 
twelve  guns,  and  that  Gambetta,  who  wished  to  be 
present  at  the  battle,  nearly  fell  into  our  hands,  but 
just  made  his  escape  in  time.  Afterwards  I  cut  out 
Unruh's  speech  dealing  with  the  scarcity  of  locomotives 
on  the  German  railways,  for  submission  to  the  King. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

LAST   WEEKS    BEFORE    THE    CAPITULATION  OF    PARIS 

Saturday,  January  lAth. — Count  Lehndorff  dined  witli 
us  to-day.  The  Chief  mentions  that  Jules  Favre  has 
written  to  him.  He  wishes  to  go  to  the  Conference  in 
London,  and  asserts  that  he  only  ascertained  on  the 
10th  inst.  that  a  safe  conduct  was  held  in  readiness  for 
him.  He  desires  to  take  with  him  an  unmarried  and  a 
married  daughter,  together  with  her  husband — who  has 
a  Spanish  name — and  a  secretary.  "  He  would  doubt- 
less prefer  a  pass  for  M.  le  Ministre  et  suite.  He  has 
the  longing  of  a  vagabond  for  a  passport."  But  he 
is  not  to  receive  one  at  all,  the  soldiers  being  simply 
instructed  to  let  him  through.  Bucher  is  to  write  that 
it  will  be  best  for  him  to  go  by  way  of  Corbeil,  as  he 
will  not  then  have  to  leave  the  carriage  which  he  brings 
from  Paris  and  to  walk  for  some  way  on  foot,  afterwards 
taking  another  carriage.  His  best  route  will  also  be  by 
Lagny  and  Metz,  and  not  by  Amiens.  If  he  does  not 
wish  to  go  by  way  of  Corbeil  he  is  to  say  so,  and  then 
the  military  authorities  will  be  instructed  accordingly. 
"  One  would  be  inclined  to  think,"  added  the  Chief, 
"  from  his  desire  to  take  his  family  with  him,  that  he 
wants  to  get  out  of  harm's  w\ay." 

In  the  further  course  of  conversation  the  Minister 


Jan.  14, 1 871]        BISMARCK  AND  MANTEUFFEL  461 

observed :  "  Versailles  is  really  the  most  unsuitable 
place  tliat  could  have  been  chosen  from  the  point  of 
view  of  communications.  We  ought  to  have  remained 
at  Lagny  or  Ferrieres.  But  I  know  well  why  it  was 
selected.  All  our  princely  personages  would  have  found 
it  too  dull  there.  It  is  true  they  are  bored  here  too, 
and  doubtless  everywhere  else." 

The  Chief  then  went  on  to  talk  of  German  Princes 
in  general,  and  said  :  "  Originally  they  were  all  Counts, 
that  is  to  say,  officials  of  the  Empire.  The  Zehringers, 
it  is  true,  are  an  old  princely  family — apart  from  any 
fresh  blood  that  has  been  infused  into  the  stock.  The 
Austrian  Princes  and  Counts  have  only  become  rich  and 
powerful  through  grants  of  confiscated  estates.  The 
Schwarzenbergs,  for  instance,  through  the  property  of  a 
gentleman  with  a  very  unappetising  name — Schmier- 
sicki."  The  Chancellor  then  went  into  further 
particulars,  and  continued :  "  They  (the  Hapsburgs) 
were  grateful  for  services  rendered  to  them,  and 
rewarded  their  people  with  rich  grants.  It  was  different 
with  us.  Our  nobles  were  squeezed.  Any  one  who  had 
large  estates  was  forced  to  give  them  uj)  or  to  make  a 
bad  exchanofe." 

The  Chancellor  afterwards  spoke  about  Manteuffel, 
and  said  :  "  He  is  now  heaping  up  coals  of  fire  on  my 
head  by  taking  Bill  with  him.  We  were  on  bad  terms 
during  the  last  few  years.  One  of  the  reasons  was  his 
extravagance  in  Schleswig.  He  kept  a  regular  Court 
there,  and  gave  great  dinners  of  forty  to  fifty  covers, 
spending  three  to  four  thousand  thalers  a  month.  That 
was  all  very  well  before  the  war,  but  later  on,  when  I 
had  to  account  for  it  to  the  Treasury  Committee,  it 
could  not  go  on,  and  when  I  had  to  tell  him  so,  he  was 
angry." 


462  THE  REPROVISIONING  OF  PARIS       [Jan.  14, 1871 

After  dinner  I  wrote  an   article   for  the  Moniteur, 
under    instructions    from    the    Chief,    respecting    the 
difficulty  of  provisioning  Paris  when  it  surrenders.     It 
ran  thus :  "We  find    the  following  paragraph  on  the 
provisioning  of  Paris  in  the  Journal  Ojfficiel :  '  Accord- 
ing to  a  despatch  from  Bordeaux,  dated  January  3rd, 
the   Government  of   National  Defence  has  collected  a 
large  quantity  of  necessaries  in  view  of  furnishing  Paris 
with  a  fresh  supply  of  provisions.     In  addition  to  the 
markets    now   in    course    of   erection   there  is  already 
collected,  near  the  means  of  transport  and  beyond  the 
range  of  the  enemy's  operations,  a  mass  of  supplies  that 
only  wait  the  first  signal  to  be  despatched.'     When  this 
question  of   reprovisioning    Paris  is  considered  from  a 
practical  point  of  view,  it  will  be  seen  that  it  bristles 
with    serious    difficulties.      If    the    statement    of    the 
Journal  Officiel  that  the  stores  are  beyond  the  range 
of  the  German  sphere  of  action  be  correct,  it  must  be 
taken  that  they  are  some  200  miles  away  from  Paris. 
Now  the   condition  to  which  the  railways  leading   to 
Paris  have  been  reduced  by  the  French  themselves  is 
such   that  it  would  require  several  weeks  at  least  to 
transport  such  a  quantity  of  provisions  to  Paris.     There 
is  another   consideration  which  must  also  not  be  over- 
looked,   namely,    that   in    addition    to    the   famishing 
population  of  Paris,  the  German  army  has  a  right  to 
see  that  its  supplies  are  replenished   by  the  railways, 
and  that  consequently  the    German  officials   with   the 
best  will  in  the  world  can  only  spare  a   portion  of  the 
rolling  stock  to  be  employed  in  reprovisioning  Paris.     It 
follows  that  if  the  Parisians  put  off  the  surrender  of  the 
city  until  they  have  eaten  their  last  mouthful  of  bread, 
believing  that  large  supplies  are  within  easy  reach,  a 
fatal  blunder  may  be  committed.     We  trust  that  the 


Jan.  15,1871]  COUNT  ANDRASSY  463 

Goverument  of  National  Defence  will  very  seriously 
consider  the  circumstances,  and  weigh  well  the  heavy 
responsibility  it  incurs  in  adopting  the  principle  of 
resistance  to  the  bitter  end.  Every  day  increases 
instead  of  lessening  the  distance  between  the  capital 
and  the  provincial  armies,  whose  approach  is  awaited 
with  so  much  impatience  in  Paris,  which  is  closely 
invested  and  entirely  cut  off  from  the  outer  world. 
Paris  cannot  be  rescued  by  fictitious  reports.  To  sup- 
pose that  it  can  wait  till  the  last  moment,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  neither  the  provinces  nor  the  enemy  could 
allow  a  city  of  two  and  a  half  million  inhabitants  to 
starve,  might  prove  to  be  a  terrible  miscalculation, 
owing  to  the  absolute  impossibility  of  preventing  it. 
The  capitulation  of  Paris  at  the  very  last  hour  might — 
which  God  forbid  ! — be  the  commencement  of  a  really 
great  calamity." 

Sunday,  January  Ibth. — Rather  bright,  cold 
weather.  The  firing  is  less  vigorous  than  during  the 
last  few  days.  The  Chief  slept  badly  last  night,  and 
had  WoUmann  called  up  at  4  a.m.  in  order  to  telegraph 
to  London  respecting  Favre.  In  the  morning  read 
despatches.  Andrassy,  the  Hungarian  Premier,  declared 
to  our  Ambassador  in  Vienna  that  he  not  only  approved 
of  Beust's  despatch  of  December  26th  and  shared  the 
views  therein  expressed  respecting  the  new  Germany, 
but  had  desired  and  recommended  such  a  policy  all 
along.  He  had  "  always  said  we  should  reach  out  our 
hand  to  Germany  and  shake  our  fist  at  Russia."  The 
reservation  at  the  commencement  of  the  document  in 
question  might  have  been  omitted,  as  the  reorganisation 
of  Germany  does  not  affect  the  Treaty  of  Prague. 

The  letters  in  which  the  German  Princes  declare 
their  approval  of  the  King  of  Bavaria's  proposal  for  the 


464    LETTERS  FROM  THE  GERMAN  PRINCES    [Jan.  15, 187 1 

restoration  of  the  imperial  dignity  all  express  practically 
the  same  views.  Only  the  elder  line  of  the  Reuss 
family  was  moved  to  base  its  consent  upon  different 
grounds.  It  regards  the  imperial  title  as  "  an  orna- 
mental badge  of  the  dignity  of  the  Federal  Commander- 
in-Chief,  and  of  the  right  of  Presidency."  The  letter 
then  continues,  literally  :  "  I  do  this  "  (that  is  approve), 
"  fully  confident  that  the  bestowal  of  this  dignity  upon 
his  Majesty  the  King  of  Prussia  will  not  affect  the 
newly-established  relations  of  the  Confederation."  Ober- 
regierungsrath  Wagner  drafted  the  answers  to  these 
letters  of  approval,  as  also  the  proclamation  to  the 
German  people  concerning  the  Emperor  and  the  Empire, 
which  is  to  be  published  shortly.  I  hear  that  he  some- 
times draws  up  the  speech  from  the  throne,  as  he  has  a 
certain  loftiness  of  style  v/hich  the  Chief  likes.  Read 
a  letter  from  King  William  to  the  Chancellor  written  in 
his  own  hand.  Contents  :  On  the  10th  of  January 
Prince  Luitpold  requested  an  audience  of  our  Majesty. 
This  was  granted  to  him  before  dinner.  The  Prince 
then  delivered  a  message  from  the  King  of  Bavaria, 
suggesting  that  the  Bavarian  army  should  be  relieved 
from  taking  the  military  oath  of  obedience  to  the 
Federal  Commander-in-Chief,  and  that  the  stipulation 
to  that  effect  should  be  struck  out  of  the  treaty  with 
Bavaria.  The  Prince  urged,  as  an  argument  in  support 
of  this  proposal,  that  such  a  stipulation  as  that  in  ques- 
tion limited  the  sovereignty  of  the  King  of  Bavaria. 
No  such  obligation  had  been  imposed  upon  the  South 
German  States  during  the  present  war,  and  the  obedi- 
ence and  loyalty  of  the  Bavarian  army  might  be  taken 
as  a  matter  of  course  in  the  united  Germany  of  the 
future.  He  also  observed  incidentally  that  the  reason 
why  the  dissatisfaction  in  Bayaria  was  so  great  wa^ 


Jan.  1 5,  1 87 1]    AMERICAN  SHIPS  WITH  CONTRABAND        465 

because  it  liacl  been  hoped  that  the  imperial  dignity 
would  be  held  alternately  by  Bavaria  and  Prussia.  The 
King  replied  that  he  could  not  give  an  immediate 
answer  to  this  unforeseen  demand ;  he  must  first  look 
through  the  treaties.  For  the  moment  he  could  only 
say  that  by  yielding  in  the  matter  of  the  military  oath 
he  would  offend  the  other  Princes,  and  that  they  might 
put  forward  a  similar  demand,  which  would  loosen  the 
ties  that  were  to  bind  the  new  Germany  together.  That 
would  necessarily  damage  the  King  of  Bavaria's  position 
in  particular,  as  the  concessions  made  to  Bavaria  were 
already  regarded  with  great  disfavour  by  public  opinion. 
King  William  writes  that  he  said  nothing  whatever 
about  the  alternation  of  the  imperial  dignity.  The  Chief 
telegraphed  to  Werther  (Minister  at  Munich)  that  the 
proposal  respecting  the  military  oath  could  not  be 
entertained. 

The  Chief  dined  with  the  King  to-day.  Nothing 
worthy  of  note  was  said  at  our  table.  After  dinner  I 
again  read  drafts  and  despatches.  Amongst  the  latter 
was  a  letter  from  King  Lewis  to  the  Chancellor,  in 
which  he  thanks  the  Minister  for  his  good  wishes  for 
the  new  year,  and  reciprocates  them.  He  then  claims 
an  extension  of  territory  on  the  ground  of  the  import- 
ance of  Bavaria  and  the  gallant  co-operation  of  her 
troops.  From  the  construction  of  the  sentence  it  is 
not  quite  clear  whether  this  extension  of  territory  is 
intended  for  Bavaria  herself,  but  very  probably  it  is. 

Called  to  the  Chief  at  9  p.m.  I  am  to  write  an 
article,  based  upon  official  documents,  on  our  position 
towards  American  ships  conveying  contraband  of  war. 
In  doing  so  I  am  to  be  guided  by  the  13th  article  of 
the  Treaty  of  1799.  We  cannot  seize  such  vessels,  but 
only  detain  them,  or  seize  the  contraband  goods,  for 

VOL.  I  H    H 


466  TROCHIPS  LETTER  TO  MOLTKE      [Jan.  i6,  1871 

which  a  receipt  must  be  given,  and  in  both  cases  we 
must  make  fair  compensation. 

Monday,  January  16th. — Thawing.  A  dull  sky, 
with  a  strong  south-west  wind.  It  is  again  impossible 
to  see  far,  but  no  further  shots  are  heard  since  yesterday 
afternoon.  Has  the  bombardment  stopped  ?  Or  does 
the  wind  prevent  the  sound  from  reaching  us  ? 

In  the  mornino;  I  read  Trochu's  letter  to  Moltke,  in 
which  he  complains  that  our  projectiles  have  struck  the 
hospitals  in  the  south  of  Paris,  although  flags  were 
hung  out  indicating  their  character.  He  is  of  opinion 
that  this  cannot  have  been  by  accident,  and  calls 
attention  to  the  international  treaties  according  to 
which  such  institutions  are  to  be  held  inviolable. 
Moltke  strongly  resented  the  idea  of  its  having  been 
in  any  way  intentional.  The  humane  manner  in  which 
we  have  conducted  the  war,  "  so  far  as  the  character 
which  was  given  to  it  by  the  French  since  the  4th  of 
September  permitted,"  secured  us  against  any  such 
suspicion.  As  soon  as  a  clearer  atmosphere  and  greater 
proximity  to  Paris  enabled  us  to  recognise  the  Geneva 
flag  on  the  buildings  in  question  it  might  be  possible 
to  avoid  even  accidental  injury.  Treitschke  writes 
requesting  me  to  ask  the  Chief  if,  in  view  of  his  deaf- 
ness, he  should  allow  himself  to  be  elected  for  the 
Reichstag.  I  lay  the  letter  before  the  Minister,  who 
says  :  "  He  must  know  from  experience  how  far  his 
infirmity  is  a  hindrance.  For  my  part,  I  should  be 
extremely  pleased  if  he  were  elected.  Write  him  to 
that  efl"ect.     Only  he  should  not  speak  too  much." 

Prince  Pless  and  Maltzahn  dine  with  us.  We  learn 
that  the  proclamation  to  the  German  people  is  to  be 
read  the  day  after  to-morrow,  at  the  festival  of  the 
Orders,  which  will  be  held  in  the  Gallerie  des  Glaces  at 


Jan.  i6,  1871]  FAVRE  ASKS  FOR  A  PASS  467 

the  Palace.  There,  in  the  midst  of  a  brilliant  assembly, 
the  King  will  be  proclaimed  Emperor.  Detachments 
of  troops  with  their  flags,  the  generals,  the  Chancellor 
of  the  Confederation,  and  a  number  of  princely  per- 
sonages will  attend.  The  Chief  has  altered  his  mind 
as  to  letting  Favre  pass  through  our  lines,  and  has 
written  him  a  letter  which  amounts  to  a  refusal. 
"Favre,"  he  said  "with  his  demand  to  be  allowed  to 
attend  the  Conference  in  London,  reminds  me  of  the 
way  children  play  the  game  of  Fox  in  the  Hole.  They 
touch  and  then  run  off  to  a  place  where  they  cannot 
be  caught.  But  he  must  swallow  the  potion  he  has 
brewed.  His  honour  requires  it,  and,  so  I  wrote  him." 
This  change  of  view  was  due  to  Favre's  circular  of  the 
12th  of  January.  Later  on,  the  Chief  said  he  believed 
he  was  going  to  have  an  attack  of  gout.  Altogether 
he  was  not  in  good  humour.  While  he  was  reckoning 
up  the  fortresses  taken  by  us,  Holstein  addressed  a 
remark  to  him.  The  Chief  looked  straight  at  him  with 
his  large  grey  eyes,  and  said  in  a  dry  cutting  tone  : 
"  One  should  not  be  interrupted  when  engaged  in 
counting.  I  have  now  lost  count  altogether.  What 
you  want  to  say  might  be  said  later." 

I  here  introduce  a  survey  of  this  incident,  with 
particulars  of  documents  which  afterwards  came  to  my 
knowledge. 

Favre,  as  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs,  was  informed 
on  the  17th  of  November  (in  a  despatch  from 
Chaudordy,  dated  from  Tours,  on  the  11th  of  the  month), 
that  it  had  been  reported  from  Vienna,  that  the  Eussian 
Government  no  longer  considered  itself  bound  by  the 
stipulations  of  the  Treaty  of  1856.  Favre  replied 
immediately.      While   recommending  the    strictest  re- 

H  H   2 


468   FRANCE  AND  THE  LONDON  CONFERENCE  [Jan.  i6, 1871 

serve,  until  the  receipt  of  official  information,  lie  said 
that  no  opportunity  should  be  neglected  of  emphasising 
the  right  of  France,  to  take  part  in  such  international 
deliberations  as  the  Russian  declaration  might  provoke. 
Negotiations  were  then  conducted,  both  verbally,  and 
in  writing,  between  the  various  Powers  and  the  French 
Provisional  Government,  in  which  the  French  en- 
deavoured to  induce  the  representatives  of  those 
Powers  to  admit  the  justice  of  their  contention,  that 
the  representatives  of  France  "  would  be  bound  in  duty 
to  bring  up  at  the  same  time  for  discussion  another 
matter  of  entirely  different  import."  The  Delegation 
at  Tours,  while  giving  expression  to  these  views,  was 
of  opinion  that  any  invitation  given  by  Europe  should 
be  accepted,  even,  should  no  promise  be  obtained  before- 
hand, nor  even  an  armistice.  On  the  31st  of  December, 
Gambetta  wrote  to  Favre  :  "  You  must  be  prepared  to 
leave  Paris,  to  attend  the  London  Conference  if,  as  is 
stated,  England  has  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  passport." 
Before  this  communication  arrived,  Favre  had  an- 
nounced to  Chaudordy  that  the  Government  had  decided 
that  France,  "  if  called  upon  in  regular  form,"  would 
send  a  representative  to  the  London  Conference,  pro- 
vided its  Parisian  representatives,  who  were  verbally 
invited  by  England,  were  supplied  with  the  necessary 
passport.  To  this  the  English  Cabinet  agreed,  and 
Chaudordy  informed  Favre  in  a  despatch  which  arrived 
in  Paris  on  the  8  th  of  January,  and  also  contained  the 
announcement,  that  he,  Favre,  had  been  appointed  by 
the  Government  to  represent  France  at  the  Conference. 
This  communication  was  confirmed  in  a  letter  from 
Lord  Granville  to  Favre,  dated  the  29th  of  December, 
and  received  in  Paris,  on  the  10th  of  January,  which 
ran  as  follows : 


Jan.  1 6,  1 871  ]    LORD  GRANVILLE S  NOTE  TO  FAVRE  469 

"  M.  de  Chaudordy  has  informed  Lord  Lyons  that 
your  Excellency  has  been  proposed  as  the  represent- 
ative of  France  at  the  Conference.  He  has  at  the  same 
time  requested  that  I  should  procure  a  passport  per- 
mitting your  Excellency  to  go  through  the  Prussian 
lines.  I  immediately  requested  Count  Bernstorff  to 
ask  for  such  a  passport,  and  to  send  it  to  you  by  a 
German  officer  with  a  flag  of  truce.  I  was  informed 
yesterday  by  Count  Bernstorff  that  a  passport  will  be 
at  your  Excellency's  disposal  on  its  being  demanded  at 
the  German  headquarters  by  an  officer  despatched  from 
Paris  for  the  purpose.  He  added  that  it  cannot  be 
delivered  by  a  German  officer,  so  long  as  satisfaction  is 
not  given  to  the  officer  who  was  fired  at  while  acting 
as  the  bearer  of  a  flag  of  truce.  I  am  informed  by 
M.  Tissot,  that  much  time  would  be  lost  before  this 
communication  could  be  forwarded  to  you  by  the  dele- 
gation at  Bordeaux,  and  I  have  accordingly  proposed 
to  Count  Bernstorfl"  another  way  in  which  it  may  be 
transmitted  to  you.  Requesting  your  Excellency  to 
permit  me  to  take  this  opportunity  of  expressing  my 
satisfaction  at  entering  into  personal  communication 
with  you,  &c." 

Favre  regarded  the  last  sentence  in  this  letter  as  a 
recognition  of  the  present  French  Government,  and  an 
invitation  that  he  might  take  advantage  of  to  address 
the  Powers  in  London  on  French  afiairs.  In  the  circular 
of  the  12th  of  January  which  he  addressed  to  the 
French  Ministers,  he  says  : — ■ 

"  The  Government,  directly  invited  in  this  despatch, 
cannot,  without  surrendering  the  rights  of  France,  refuse 
the  invitation  thus  conveyed  to  her.  It  may  certainly 
be  objected  that  the  time  for  a  discussion  concerning 
the  neutralisation  of  the  Black  Sea  has  not  been  happily 


470  THE  FRENCH  CIRCULAR  [Jan.  i6, 1871 

chosen.  But  the  very  fact  that  the  European  Powers 
should  thus  have  entered  into  relations  with  the  French 
Republic  at  the  present  decisive  moment  when  France 
is  fighting  single-handed  for  her  honour  and  existence, 
lends  it  an  exceptional  significance.  It  is  the  com- 
mencement of  a  tardy  exercise  of  justice,  an  obligation 
which  cannot  again  be  renounced.  It  endues  the 
change  of  Government  with  the  authority  of  inter- 
national law,  and  leaves  a  nation  which  is  free  notwith- 
standing its  wounds  to  appear  in  an  independent 
position  upon  the  stage  of  the  world's  history,  face  to 
face  with  the  ruler  who  led  it  to  its  ruin,  and  the  Pre- 
tenders who  desire  to  reduce  it  into  subjection  to  them- 
selves. Furthermore,  who  does  not  feel  that  France, 
admitted  to  a  place  amongst  the  representatives  of 
Europe,  has  an  unquestionable  right  to  raise  her  voice 
in  that  council  ?  Who  can  prevent  her,  supported  by 
the  eternal  laws  of  justice,  from  defending  the  principles 
that  secure  her  independence  and  dignity  ?  She  will 
surrender  none  of  those  principles.  Our  programme 
remains  unaltered,  and  Europe,  who  has  invited  the 
man  who  promulgated  that  programme,  knows  very 
well  that  it  is  his  determination  and  duty  to  maintain 
it.  There  should,  therefore,  be  no  hesitation,  and  the 
Government  would  have  committed  a  grave  error  if  it 
had  declined  the  overtures  made  to  it. 

"  While  recognising  that  fact,  however,  the  Govern- 
ment consider,  as  I  do,  that  the  Minister  for  Foreign 
Afi'airs  should  not  leave  Paris  during  the  bombardment 
of  the  city  by  the  enemy,  unless  greater  interests  were 
at  stake."  (Then  follows  a  long  sentimental  lamenta- 
tion as  to  the  damage  caused  by  the  "rage  of  the 
aggressor  "  in  throwing  bombs  into  churches,  hospitals, 
nurseries,  &c.,  with  the  intention  of  "  spreading  terror." 


Jan.  16,1871]    FAVRE'S  REPLY  TO  LORD  GRANVILLE        471 

The  document  then  proceeds) :  "  Our  brave  Parisian 
population  feels  its  courage  rise  as  the  danger  increases. 
Thus  exasperated  and  indignant,  but  animated  by  a 
firm  resolve,  it  will  not  yield.  The  people  are  more 
determined  than  ever  to  fight  and  conquer,  and  we  also. 
/  cannot  think  of  separating  myself  from  them  during 
this  crisis.  Perhaps  it  will  soon  be  brought  to  a  close 
by  the  protests  addressed  to  Europe  and  to  the  members 
of  the  Corps  Diplomatique  present  in  Paris.  England 
ivill  understand  that  until  then  my  place  is  in  the 
midst  of  m^y  fellow  citizens.'^ 

Favre  made  the  same  declaration,  or  rather  the  first 
half  of  it,  two  days  before  in  the  reply  sent  to  Gran- 
ville's despatch,  in  which  he  says :  '"'  I  cannot  assume 
the  right  to  leave  my  fellow  citizens  at  a  moment  when 
they  are  subjected  to  such  acts  of  violence  "  (against 
"  an  unarmed  population,"  as — in  the  line  immediately 
preceding — he  describes  a  strong  fortress  with  a  garrison 
of  about  200,000  soldiers  and  militia).  He  then  con- 
tinues :  "  Communications  between  Paris  and  London, 
thanks  to  those  in  command  of  the  besieging  forces " 
(what  naivete  !)  "  are  so  slow  and  uncertain  that  with 
the  best  will  I  cannot  act  in  accordance  with  the  terms 
of  the  invitation  contained  in  your  despatch.  You 
have  given  me  to  understand  that  the  Conference  will 
meet  on  the  3rd  of  February,  and  will  then  probably 
adjourn  for  a  week.  Having  received  this  information 
on  the  evening  of  the  10th  of  January,  I  should  not  be 
able  to  avail  myself  in  time  of  your  invitation.  Besides, 
M.  de  Bismarck,  in  forwarding  the  despatch,  did  not 
enclose  the  passport,  which,  nevertheless,  is  absolutely 
essential.  He  demands  that  a  French  officer  shall  pro- 
ceed to  the  German  headquarters  to  receive  it,  on  the 
plea  of  a  complaint  addressed  to  the  Governor  of  Paris 


472  A  FRENCH  PROTEST  [Jan.  i6,  1871 

with  regard  to  the  treatment  of  the  bearer  of  a  flag  of 
truce,  an  incident  which  occurred  on  the  23rd  of 
December.  M,  de  Bismarck  adds  that  the  Prussian 
Commander-in-Chief  has  forbidden  all  communication 
under  flags  of  truce  until  satisfaction  is  given  for  the 
incident  in  question.  I  do  not  inquire  whether  such  a 
decision,  contrary  to  the  laws  of  war,  is  not  an  absolute 
denial  of  a  higher  right,  always  hitherto  maintained  in 
the  conduct  of  hostilities,  which  recognises  the  exigen- 
cies of  a  situation  and  the  claims  of  humane  feeling.  I 
confine  myself  to  informing  your  Excellency  that  the 
Governor  of  Paris  hastened  to  order  an  inquiry  into  the 
incident  referred  to  by  M.  de  Bismarck,  and  that  this 
inquiry  brought  to  his  knowledge  much  more  numerous 
instances  of  similar  conduct  on  the  part  of  Prussian 
sentries  which  had  never  been  made  a  pretext  for 
interrupting  the  usual  exchange  of  communications. 
M.  de  Bismarck  appears  to  have  acknowledged  the 
accuracy  of  these  remarks,  at  least  in  part,  as  he  has 
to-day  commissioned  the  United  States  Minister  to 
inform  me  that,  with  the  reservation  of  inquiries  on 
both  sides,  he  to-day  re-establishes  communications 
under  flags  of  truce.  There  is,  therefore,  no  necessity 
for  a  French  officer  to  go  to  the  Prussian  headquarters. 
I  will  put  myself  in  communication  with  the  Minister  of 
the  United  States  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  the  pass- 
port which  you  have  obtained  for  me.  As  soon  as  it 
reaches  my  hands,  and  the  situation  in  Paris  permits 
me,  I  shall  proceed  to  London,  confident  that  I  shall 
not  appeal  in  vain  in  the  name  of  my  Government  to 
the  principles  of  justice  and  morality,  in  securing  due 
regard  for  which  Europe  has  such  a  great  interest." 

So  far  M.  Favre.     The  condition  of  Paris  had  not 
altered,  the  protests  addressed  to  Europe  had  not  put 


Jan.  i6, 1871]  FAVRE  AND  BISMARCK  473 

an  eud  to  the  crisis,  nor  could  they  have  done  so,  when 
Favre,  on  January  13th,  that  is,  three  days  after  the 
letter  to  Granville,  and  on  the  day  of  the  issue  of  his 
circular  to  the  representatives  of  France  abroad,  sent 
the  following  desjDatch  to  the  Chancellor  of  the  Con- 
federation : — 

"  M.  le  Comte, — Lord  Granville  informs  me  in  his 
despatch  of  December  29th,  which  I  received  on  the 
evening  of  January  10th,  that  your  Excellency,  at  the 
request  of  the  English  Cabinet,  holds  a  passport  at  my 
disposal  which  is  necessary  to  enable  the  French  Pleni- 
potentiary to  the  London  Conference  to  pass  through 
the  Prussian  lines.  As  I  have  been  appointed  to  that 
office,  I  have  the  honour  to  request  your  Excellency  to 
give  instructions  to  have  this  passport,  made  out  in  my 
name,  sent  to  me  as  speedily  as  possible." 

I  reproduce  all  these  solely  with  the  object  of  illus- 
trating the  great  difference  between  the  character  and 
capacity  of  Favre  and  of  Bismarck.  Compare  the 
foregoing  documents  with  those  which  the  Chancellor 
drafted.  In  the  former,  indecision,  equivocation, 
affectation,  and  fine  phrases,  ending  in  the  very 
opposite  of  what  had  been  emphatically  laid  down  a 
few  lines  or  a  few  days  previously.  Li  the  latter,  on 
the  contrary,  decision,  simplicity,  and  a  natural  and 
purely  business-like  manner.  On  January  16th  the 
Chancellor  replied  to  Favre  as  follows  (omitting  the 
introductory  phrases) : — 

"  Your  Excellency  understands  that,  at  the  sugges- 
tion of  the  Government  of  Great  Britain,  I  hold  a 
passport  at  your  disposal  for  the  purpose  of  enabling 
you  to  take  part  in  the  London  Conference.  That 
supposition  is,  however,  not  correct.  I  could  not  enter 
into  official  negotiations,  which  would  be  based  on  the 


474  BISMARCK'S  REPLY  TO  FAVRE      [Jan.  i6, 1871 

presupposition  that  the  Government  of  National  De- 
fence is,  according  to  international  law,  in  a  position  to 
act  in  the  name  of  France,  so  long  at  least  as  it  has  not 
been  recognised  by  the  French  nation  itself. 

"  I  presume  that  the  officer  in  command  of  our 
outposts  would  have  granted  your  Excellency  permis- 
sion to  pass  through  the  German  lines  if  your 
Excellency  had  applied  for  the  same  at  the  headquarters 
of  the  besieging  forces.  The  latter  would  have  had  no 
reason  to  take  your  Excellency's  political  position  and 
the  object  of  your  journey  into  consideration,  and  the 
authorisation  granted  by  the  military  authorities  to 
pass  through  our  lines,  which,  from  their  standpoint, 
they  need  not  have  hesitated  to  grant,  would  have  left 
the  Ambassador  of  his  Majesty  the  King  in  London  a 
free  hand  to  deal  without  prejudice  with  the  question 
whether,  according  to  international  law,  your  Excel- 
lency's declarations  could  be  accepted  as  the  declara- 
tions of  France.  Your  Excellency  has  rendered  the 
adoption  of  such  a  course  impossible  by  officially 
communicating  to  me  the  object  of  your  journey,  and 
the  official  request  for  a  passport  for  the  purpose  of 
representing  France  at  the  Conference.  The  above- 
mentioned  political  considerations,  in  support  of  which 
I  must  adduce  the  declaration  which  your  Excellency 
has  published,  forbid  me  to  accede  to  your  request  for 
such  a  document. 

"  In  addressing  this  communication  to  you,  I  must 
leave  it  to  yourself  and  your  Government  to  consider 
whether  it  is  possible  to  find  another  way  in  which  the 
scruples  above  mentioned  may  be  overcome,  and  all 
prejudice  arising  from  your  presence  in  London  may  be 
avoided. 

"  But  even  if  some  such  way  should  be  discovered,  I 


Jan.  17, 1871]  A  SHARP  REPROOF  475 

take  the  liberty  to  question  whether  it  is  advisable  for 
your  Excellency  at  the  present  moment  to  leave  Paris 
and  your  post  as  a  member  of  the  Government  there, 
in  order  to  take  part  in  a  Conference  on  the  question  of 
the  Black  Sea,  at  a  time  when  interests  of  much  greater 
importance  to  France  and  Germany  than  Article  XL  of 
the  Treaty  of  1856  are  at  stake  in  Paris,  Your  Excel- 
lency w^ould  also  leave  behind  you  in  Paris  the  agents 
of  neutral  States  and  the  members  of  their  staffs  who 
have  remained  there,  or  rather  been  kept  there,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  they  have  long  since  ob- 
tained permission  to  pass  through  the  German  lines, 
and  are  therefore  the  more  specially  committed  to  the 
protection  and  care  of  your  Excellency  as  the  Minister 
for  Foreign  Affairs  of  the  de  facto  Government. 

"  I  can  hardly  believe  that  in  a  critical  situation,  to 
the  creation  of  which  you  have  so  largely  contributed, 
your  Excellency  will  deprive  yourself  of  the  possibility 
of  co-operating  towards  that  solution,  for  which  you  are 
equally  responsible." 

I  now  let  the  diary  resume  its  narrative. 

Tuesday,  January  nth. — We  were  joined  at  dinner 
by  the  Saxon,  Count  Nostiz-Wallwitz,  who,  it  is  under- 
stood, is  to  take  up  an  administrative  appointment  here, 
and  a  Herr  Winter,  or  von  Winter,  who  is  to  be  Prefect  at 
Chartres.  On  some  one  referring  to  the  future  military 
operations,  the  Chief  observed :  "I  think  that  when, 
with  God's  help,  we  have  taken  Paris,  we  shall  not 
occupy  it  with  our  troops.  That  work  may  be  left  to 
the  National  Guard  in  the  city.  Also  a  French  com- 
mandant. We  shall  occupy  merely  the  forts  and  walls. 
Everybody  will  be  permitted  to  enter,  but  nobody  to 


476       BISMARCK  FA  VO  URS  CONCENTRA  TION    [Jan.  1 7, 1 87 1 

leave.     It  will,  therefore,  be  a  great  prison  until  they 
consent  to  make  peace." 

The  Minister  then  spoke  to  Nostiz  about  the  French 
Conseils  Gdndraux,  and  said  we  should  try  to  come  to 
an  understanding  with  them.  They  would  form  a  good 
field  here  for  further  political  operations.  "  So  far  as 
the  military  side  of  the  affair  is  concerned,"  he  continued, 
"  I  am  in  favour  of  greater  concentration.  We  should 
not  go  beyond  a  certain  line,  but  deal  with  that  portion 
thoroughly,  making  the  administration  effectual,  and  in 
particular  collect  the  taxes.  The  military  authorities 
are  always  for  advancing.  They  have  a  centrifugal 
plan  of  operations  and  I  a  centripetal.  It  is  a  question 
whether  we  ought  to  hold  Orleans,  and  even  whether  it 
would  not  be  better  to  retire  also  from  Eouen  and 
Amiens.  In  the  south-east — I  do  not  know  why — they 
want  to  go  as  far  as  Dijon.  And  if  we  cannot  supply 
garrisons  for  every  place  within  our  sphere  of  occupa- 
tion, we  should  from  time  to  time  send  a  flying  column 
wherever  they  show  themselves  recalcitrant,  and  shoot, 
hang  and  burn.  When  that  has  been  done  a  couple  of 
times  they  will  learn  sense."  Winter  was  of  opinion 
that  the  mere  appearance  of  a  detachment  of  troops 
entrusted  with  the  task  of  restoring  order,  would  be 
sufficient  in  such  districts.  The  Chief:  "I  am  not  so 
sure.  A  little  hanging  would  certainly  have  a  better 
effect,  and  a  few  shells  thrown  in  and  a  couple  of  houses 
burned  down.  That  reminds  me  of  the  Bavarian  who 
said  to  a  Prussian  officer  of  artillery :  '  What  do  you 
think,  comrade ;  shall  we  set  that  little  village  on  fire, 
or  only  knock  it  about  a  little  ? '  but  they  decided  after 
all  to  set  it  on  fire." 

I  do  not  now  remember  how  it  was  that  the  Chief 
came  to  speak  again  of  his  letter  he  wrote  yesterday  to 


Jan.  17,  i87i]     THE  LANGUAGE  OF  DIPLOMACY  477 

Favre.  "  I  have  given  liim  clearly  to  understand  that 
it  would  not  do,  and  that  I  could  not  believe  that  he 
who  had  taken  part  in  the  affair  of  the  4th  of  September 
would  fail  to  await  the  issue.  I  wrote  the  letter  in 
French,  first  because  I  do  not  regard  the  correspondence 
as  official  but  rather  as  private,  and  then  in  order  that 
every  one  may  be  able  to  read  it  in  the  French  lines 
until  it  reaches  him."  Nostiz  asked  how  diplomatic 
correspondence  in  general  was  now  conducted.  The 
Chief:  "  In  German.  Formerly  it  was  in  French.  But 
I  have  introduced  German — only,  however,  with  Cabinets 
whose  languao-e  is  understood  in  our  own  Foreio;n  Office. 
England,  Italy  and  also  Spain — even  Spanish  can  be 
read  in  case  of  need.  Not  with  Eussia,  as  I  am  the  only 
one  in  the  Foreign  Office  who  understands  Kussian. 
Also  not  with  Holland,  Denmark  and  Sweden — people 
do  not  learn  those  languages  as  a  rule.  They  write  in 
French  and  we  reply  in  the  same  language."  "At 
Ferrieres  I  spoke  to  Thiers "  (he  meant  Favre)  "  in 
French.  But  I  told  him  that  was  only  because  I  was 
not  treating  with  him  officially.  He  laughed,  where- 
upon I  said  to  him  :  '  You  will  see  that  we  shall  talk 
plain  German  to  you  in  the  negotiations  for  peace.'" 

At  tea  we  hear  from  Holstein  that  the  bombardment 
on  the  south  side  has  been  stopped,  Blumenthal,  who 
was  always  against  it,  having  got  his  way.  It  is  hoped, 
however,  that  the  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony  will  proceed 
vigorously  with  the  bombardment  on  the  north  side. 
One  would  like  to  tell  this  to  our  own  Crown  Prince, 
and  to  ask  him  what  would  be  said  when  it  was  known 
that  the  Saxons  had  forced  Paris  to  capitulate?  "  Unless 
you  are  quite  certain  of  that,"  said  Wagener,  "  and  have 
it  on  absolutely  trustworthy  authority,  do  not  let  the 
Chief  hear  of  it.     I  should  not  like  to  guarantee  that 


478  PROCLAMATION  OF  THE  EMPIRE       [Jan.  18, 1871 

in  that  case  lie  would  not  be  off  to-morrow.  He  is  a 
volcano  whose  action  is  incalculable,  and  he  does  not 
stand  jokes  in  such  matters."  Holstein,  however,  ap- 
pears to  have  been  misinformed.  At  least  Count 
Donhoff,  who  came  in  afterwards,  declared  that  our 
siege  guns  in  the  south  were  also  at  work,  but  that 
owing  to  the  south-west  wind  we  did  not  hear  the  firing, 
and,  moreover,  it  was  not  so  heavy  as  during  the  preceding 
days.  Fire  would  probably  be  opened  to-morrow  from 
St.  Denis  upon  the  city,  a  pleasant  surprise  for  the 
inhabitants  of  the  northern  quarters. 

Wednesday,  January  18th. — In  the  morning  read 
despatches  and  newspapers.  Wollmann  tells  me  that  an 
order  has  been  issued  promoting  our  Chief  to  the  rank  of 
Lieutenant-General.  When  Wollmann  took  the  order 
up  to  him  and  congratulated  him,  the  Chancellor  threw 
it  angrily  on  the  bed  and  said  :  "  What  is  the  good  of 
that  to  me?"  ("  Wat  ik  wiich  davor  koofef" — low 
German  dialect.)  Doubtless  imagination,  but  it  appears 
to  be  correct  that  the  Minister  is  to-day  in  very  bad 
humour  and  exceptionally  irritable. 

The  festival  of  the  Orders  and  the  Proclamation  of 
the  German  Empire  and  Emperor  took  place  in  the  great 
hall  of  the  palace  between  12  and  1.30  p.m.  It  was 
held  with  much  military  pomp  and  ceremony,  and  is 
said  to  have  been  a  very  magnificent  and  imposing 
spectacle.  In  the  meantime  I  took  a  long  walk  with 
Wollmann. 

The  Chief  did  not  dine  with  us,  as  he  was  bidden  to 
the  Emperor's  table.  On  his  return  I  was  called  to 
him  twice  to  receive  instructions.  His  voice  was  an 
unusually  weak  voice,  and  looked  very  tired  and  worn 
out. 

The  Chief    has   received   a   communication  from  a 


Jan.  i8,  1871]       FOREIGN  DIPLOMATS  IN  PARIS  479 

number  of   diplomats  wlio    have  remained  behind  in 
Paris.     Kern,  the  Swiss  Minister,  who  is  their  spokes- 
man, requests  the   Chancellor  to  use   his  influence  in 
order  to  obtain  permission  for  the  persons  committed  to 
their  protection  to  leave  the  city.     At  the  same  time 
our  right  to  bombard  Paris  is  questioned,  and  it  is  in- 
sinuated that  we  intentionally  fire  at    buildings  that 
ought  to  be  respected.     The  reply  is  to  point  out  that 
we   have  already  repeatedly,  through  their  diplomatic 
representatives,  called  the  attention  of  the  citizens   of 
neutral  states  living  in  Paris  to  the  consequences  of  the 
city's  prolonged  resistance.     This  was  done  as  early  as 
the    end   of    September,  and    again    several    times   in 
October.     Furthermore,  we  have  for  months  past  allowed 
every  citizen  of  a  neutral  State,  who  was  able  to  give 
evidence   of  his  nationality,  to  pass  through  our  lines 
without  any  difficulty.    At  the  present  time,  for  military 
reasons,  we  can  only  extend  that  permission  to  members 
of    the   Corps   Diplomatique.      It   is   not  our  fault    if 
subjects    of    neutral    states  have  not  hitherto  availed 
themselves  of  the  permission  to  seek  a  place  of  safety 
for  their  persons  and  their  property.     Either  they  have 
not  wished  to  leave,  or  they  have  not  been  allowed  to 
do  so  by  those  who  at  present  hold  power  in  Paris.    We 
are  fully  justified  by  international  law  in  bombarding 
Paris,  as  it  is  a  fortress,  the  principal  fortress  of  France 
— an  entrenched  camp  which  serves  the  enemy  as  a  base 
of  offensive  and  defensive  action  against  our  armies. 
Our  generals  cannot,  therefore,  be  expected  to  refrain 
from  attacking  it,  or  to  handle  it  with  velvet  gloves. 
Furthermore,  the  object  of  the  bombardment  is  not  to 
destroy  the  city,  but  to  capture  the  fortress.     If  our  fire 
renders  residence  in  Paris  uncomfortable  and  dangerous, 
those  who  recognise  that  fact  ought  not  to  have  gone  to 


48o  EVIL  MINDED  SHELLS  [Jah.  19, 187I 

live  in  a  fortified  town,  or  should  not  have  remained 
there.  They  may,  therefore,  address  their  complaints 
not  to  us,  but  to  those  who  transformed  Paris  into  a 
fortress,  and  who  now  use  its  fortifications  as  an  instru- 
ment of  war  against  us.  Finally,  our  artillery  does  not 
intentionally  fire  at  private  houses  and  benevolent  insti- 
tutions, such  as  hospitals,  &c.  That  should  be  under- 
stood as  a  matter  of  course  from  the  care  with  which  we 
have  observed  the  provisions  of  the  G-eneva  Convention. 
Such  accidents  as  do  occur  are  due  to  the  great  distance 
at  which  we  are  firing.  It  cannot,  however,  be  tolerated 
that  Paris,  which  has  been  and  still  is  the  chief  centre 
of  military  resistance,  should  bring  forward  these  cases 
as  an  argument  for  forbidding  the  vigorous  bombard- 
ment  which  is  intended  to  render  the  city  untenable. 
Wrote  articles  to  the  above  efi"ect. 

Thursday,  January  19th. — Dull  weather.  The  post 
has  not  been  delivered,  and  it  is  ascertained  on  inquiry 
that  the  railway  line  has  been  destroyed  at  a  place  called 
Vitry  la  Ville,  near  Chalons.  From  10  a.m.  we  hear  a 
rather  vigorous  cannonade,  in  which  field  guns  ulti- 
mately join.  I  write  two  articles  on  the  sentimental 
report  of  the  Journal  des  Dehats,  according  to  wdiich 
our  shells  only  strike  ambulances,  mothers  with  their 
daughters,  and  babies  in  swaddling  clothes.  What  evil- 
minded  shells  ! 

Keudell  tells  us  at  lunch  that  to-day's  cannonade 
was  directed  against  a  great  sortie  with  twenty-four 
battalions  and  numerous  guns  in  the  direction  of  La 
Celle  and  Saint  Cloud.  In  my  room  after  lunch 
WoUmann  treats  me  to  a  number  of  anecdotes  of 
doubtful  authenticity.  According  to  him  the  Chief 
yesterday  remarked  to  the  King,  when  his  Majesty 
changed  the  Minister's  title  to  that  of  Chancellor  of  the 


Jan.  19, 1871]      THE  LAST  SORTIE  FROM  PARIS  481 

Empire,  that  this  new  title  brought  him  into  bad 
company.  To  which  the  King  replied  that  the  bad 
company  would  be  transformed  into  good  company  on 
his  joining  it.  (From  whom  can  Wollmann  have 
heard  that  ?)  My  gossip  also  informs  me  that  the  King 
made  a  slip  of  the  tongue  yesterday  at  the  palace,  when 
in  announcing  his  assumption  of  the  title  of  Emperor 
he  added  the  words  "by  the  Grace  of  God."  This 
requires  to  be  confirmed  by  some  more  trustworthy 
authority.  Another  story  of  Wollmann's  seems  more 
probable,  namely,  that  the  Minister  sends  in  a  written 
request  to  the  King,  almost  every  day,  to  be  supplied 
with  the  reports  of  the  General  Staff  respecting  the 
English  coal  ships  sunk  by  our  people  near  Rouen.  He 
used  in  the  same  way  to  telegraph  day  after  day  to 
Eulenburg  who  has  always  been  very  dilatory  :  "  AVhat 
about  Villiers  ?  "  And  before  that  in  Berlin  he  had  a 
request  addressed  to  Eulenburg  at  least  once  every 
week :  Would  he  kindly  have  the  draft  of  the  district 
regulations  sent  forward  as  early  as  possible  % 

Towards  2  o'clock,  when  the  rattle  of  the  mitrailleuse 
could  be  clearly  distinguished,  and  the  French  artillery 
was  at  the  outside  only  half  a  German  mile  in  a  straight 
line  from  Versailles,  the  Chief  rode  out  to  the  aqueduct 
at  Marly,  whither  the  King  and  the  Grown  Prince  were 
understood  to  have  gone. 

The  affair  must  have  caused  some  anxiety  at 
Versailles  in  the  meantime,  as  we  see  that  the  Bavarian 
troops  have  been  called  out.  They  are  posted  in  large 
masses  in  the  Place  d'Armes  and  the  Avenue  de  Paris. 
The  French  are  camped,  sixty  thousand  strong  it  is 
said,  beneath  Mont  Val^rien  and  in  the  fields  to  the 
east  of  it.  They  are  understood  to  have  captured  the 
Montretout  redoubt,  and  the  village  of  Garches  to  the 

VOL.  I  II 


482        "  THE  V  MUST  LEARN  WHA  T  WAR  MEANS  " 

west  of   Saint  Cloud,   which   is  not  much  more   than 
three-quarters  of    an  hour  from  here,  is  also  in  their 
hands.     They  may,   it   is  feared,    advance  further  to- 
morrow and  oblige  us  to  withdraw  from  Versailles,  but 
this  seems  to  be  at  least  an  exaggeration.     At  dinner 
there    is    scarcely    any    talk    of    immediate    danger. 
Geheimrath   von   Loper,    who    is     understood    to    be 
Under  Secretary  in  the  Ministry  of  the  Eoyal  House- 
hold, dines  with  us.     We  hear  that  there  is  no  longer 
any  danger  for  our  communications  in  the  south-east, 
as  Bourbaki,  after  pressing  Werder  very  hard  for  three 
days  without  however  being  able  to  defeat  him,  has 
given  up  the  attempt  to  relieve  Belfort  and  is  now  in 
full  retreat,  probably  owing  to  the  approach  of  Manteuffel. 
The  Chief  then  refers  to  a  report  that  the  taxes  cannot 
be  collected  in  various  districts  of  the  occupied  territory. 
He  says  it  is  difficult,  indeed  impossible,  to  garrison 
every  place  where  the  population  must  be  made  to  pay 
the  taxes.     "  Nor,"   he  adds,    "  is  it  necessary  to    do 
so  ?     Flying  columns  of  infantry   accompanied    by    a 
couple  of  guns  are  all  that  is  needed.     Without  even 
entering  into  the  places,  the  people  should  be  simply 
told,  '  If  you  do  not  produce  the  taxes  in  arrear  within 
two  hours  we  shall  pitch  some  shells  in  amongst  you.' 
If  they  see  that  we  are  in  earnest  they  will  pay.     If 
not  the  place  should  be  bombarded,   and  that  would 
help  in  other  cases.     They  must  learn  what  war  means." 
The  conversation  afterwards   turned  on  the  grants 
that  were  to  be  expected  after  the  conclusion  of  peace, 
and  alluding  to   those  made  in    1866,  the  Chief  said, 
inter  alia :    "  They  should    not  be  grants  of  money. 
I  at  least  was  reluctant  for  a  long  time  to  accept  one, 
but  at  length   I  yielded  to  the   temptation.     Besides, 
it  was  worse  still  in  my  case,  as  I  received  it  not  from 


Jan.  20,  i87i]     BUCHER  AND  THE  SPANISH  QUESTION    483 

the  King  but  from  the  Diet.  I  did  not  want  to  take 
any  money  from  people  with  whom  I  had  fought  so 
bitterly  for  years. 

"  Moreover,  the  King  was  to  some  extent  in  my  debt, 
as  I  had  sent  him  forty  pounds  of  fine  fresh  caviar — a 
present  for  which  he  made  me  no  return.  It  is  true 
that  perhaps  he  never  received  it.  Probably  that  fat 
rascal  Borck  intercepted  it."  "  These  rewards  ought  to 
have  taken  the  form  of  grants  of  land,  as  in  1815;  and 
there  was  a  good  opportunity  of  doing  so,  particularly 
in  the  corner  of  Bavaria  which  we  acquired,  and  which 
consisted  almost  entirely  of  State  property." 

While  we  were  alone  at  tea,  Bucher  told  me  that 
"  before  the  war  he  had  a  good  deal  to  do  with  the 
Spanish  affair."  (This  was  not  exactly  news  to  me,  as  I 
remembered  that  long  before  that  he  suddenly  ordered 
the  Imiparcial,  and  gave  directions  for  various  articles 
directed  against  Montpensier.)  He  had  negotiated  in 
the  matter  with  the  Hohenzollerns,  father  and  sou,  and 
had  also  spoken  to  the  King  on  the  affair  in  an  audience 
of  one  hour's  duration  which  he  had  had  with  him  at 
Ems. 

Friday^  January  20tli. — I  am  called  to  the  Chief  at 
12  o'clock.  He  wishes  to  have  his  reply  to  Kern's  com- 
munication, and  the  letter  in  which  he  declined  to 
supply  Favre  with  a  passport,  published  in  the 
Moniteur. 

Bohlen  again  came  to  dinner,  at  which  we  were  also 
joined  by  Lauer  and  von  Knobelsdorff.  The  Chief  was 
very  cheerful  and  talkative.  He  related,  amongst  other 
things,  that  while  he  was  at  Frankfurt  he  frequently 
received  and  accepted  invitations  from  the  Grand  Ducal 
Court  at  Darmstadt.  They  had  excellent  shooting  there. 
"  But,"  he  added,  "  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  the 

I  I  2 


484  0  VERTURES  FROM  PARIS  [Jan.  2 1 , 1 87 1 

Grand  Duchess  Mathilde  did  not  like  me.  She  said  to 
some  one  at  that  time  :  '  He  always  stands  there  and 
looks  as  important  as  if  he  were  the  Grand  Duke  him- 
self. '  " 

While  we  were  smoking  our  cigars,  the  Crown 
Prince's  aide-de-camp  suddenly  appeared,  and  reported 

that  Count (I  could  not  catch  the  name)  had  come, 

ostensibly  on  behalf  of,  and  under  instructions  from, 
Trochu,  to  ask  for  a  two  days'  armistice  in  order  to 
remove  the  wounded  and  bury  those  who  fell  in  yester- 
day's engagement.  The  Chief  replied  that  the  request 
should  be  refused.  A  few  hours  would  be  sufficient  for 
the  removal  of  the  wounded  and  the  burial  of  the  dead  ; 
and,  besides,  the  latter  were  just  as  well  off  lying  on 
the  ground  as  they  would  be  under  it.  The  Major 
returned  shortly  afterwards  and  announced  that  the 
King  would  come  here  ;  and,  hardly  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  later,  his  Majesty  arrived  with  the  Crown  Prince. 
They  went  with  the  Chancellor  into  the  drawing-room, 
where  a  negative  answer  was  prepared  for  Trochu's 
messenger. 

About  9  P.M.  Bucher  sent  me  up  a  couple  of  lines  in 
pencil  to  the  effect  that  the  letter  to  Kern  should  be 
pubhshed  in  the  Moniteur  to-morrow,  but  that  the 
communication  to  Favre  should  be  held  over  for  the 
present. 

Saturday,  January  2l5^.  — At9.30  a.m.  the  Moni- 
teur is  delivered,  and  contains  the  Chief's  letter  to  Favre. 
Very  disagreeable ;  but  I  suppose  my  letter  to  Bamberg 
only  arrived  after  the  paper  was  printed.  At  10  o'clock 
I  am  called  to  the  Minister,  who  says  nothing  about  this 
mishap,  although  he  has  the  newspaper  before  him.  He 
is  still  in  bed,  and  wishes  the  protest  of  the  Comte  de 
Chambord  against  the  bombardment  cut  out   for   the 


Jan.  21,  187 1]     THE  BA  VARIAN  TREATY  CARRIED  485 

King.    I  then  write  an  article  for  tlie  Kolnische  Zeitung, 
and  a  paragraph  for  the  local  journal. 

Voigts-Rhetz,  Prince  Putbus,  and  the  Bavarian  Count 
Berghem  were  the  Chancellor's  guests  at  dinner.  The 
Bavarian  brought  the  pleasant  news  that  the  Versailles 
treaties  were  carried  in  the  second  chamber  at  Munich 
by  two  votes  over  the  necessary  two- thirds  majority. 
The  German  Empire  was,  therefore,  complete  in  every 
respect.  Thereupon  the  Chief  invited  the  company  to 
drink  the  health  of  the  King  of  Bavaria,  "  who,  after  all, 
has  really  helped  us  through  to  a  successful  conclusion." 
"  I  always  thought  that  it  would  be  carried,"  he  added, 
"  if  only  by  one  vote — but  I  had  not  hoped  for  two. 
The  last  good  news  from  the  seat  of  war  will  doubtless 
have  contributed  to  the  result." 

It  was  then  mentioned  that  in  the  engagement  the 
day  before  yesterday  the  French  brought  a  much  larger 
force  against  us  than  was  thought  at  first,  probably 
over  80,000  men.  The  Montretout  redoubt  was 
actually  in  their  hands  for  some  hours,  and  also  a 
portion  of  Garches  and  Saint  Cloud.  The  French  had 
lost  enormously  in  storming  the  position — it  was  said 
1,200  dead  and  4,000  wounded.  The  Chancellor  ob- 
served :  "  The  capitulation  must  follow  soon.  I  imagine 
it  may  be  even  next  week.  After  the  capitulation  we 
shall  supply  them  with  provisions  as  a  matter  of  course. 
But  before  they  deliver  up  700,000  rifles  and  4,000 
guns  they  shall  not  get  a  single  mouthful  of  bread — 
and  then  no  one  shall  be  allowed  to  leave.  We  shall 
occupy  the  forts  and  the  walls  and  keep  them  on  short 
commons  until  they  accommodate  themselves  to  a  peace 
satisfactory  to  us.  After  all  there  are  still  many  persons 
of  intelligence  and  consideration  in  Paris  with  whom 
it  must  be  possible  to  come  to  some  arrangement," 


486  A  SHARP  REPARTEE  [Jan.  23,  187 1 

Then  followed  a  learned  discussion  on  the  difference 
between  the  titles  "  German  Emperor  "  and  "  Emperor 
of  Germany,"  and  that  of  "  Emperor  of  the  Germans  " 
was  also  mooted.  After  this  had  gone  on  for  a  while 
the  Chief,  who  had  taken  no  part  in  it,  asked :  "  Does 
any  one  know  the  Latin  word  for  sausage  (Wurscht)  ? " 
Abeken  answered  "  Farcimentum,"  and  I  said  "Farci- 
men."  The  Chief,  smiling  :  "  Farcimentum  or  farcimen, 
it  is  all  the  same  to  me,  Nescio  quid  mihi  magis 
farcimentum  esset."  ("  Es  ist  mir  Wurst  "  is  student's 
slang,  and  means  "It  is  a  matter  of  the  utmost  indif- 
ference to  me.") 

Sunday,  January  22nd. — In  the  forenoon  I  wrote 
two  paragraphs  for  the  German  newspapers,  and  one 
for  the  Moniteur,  in  connection  with  which  I  was  twice 
called  to  see  the  Chief. 

Von  Konneritz,  a  Saxon,  General  von  Stosch,  and 
Loper  joined  us  at  dinner.  There  was  nothing  worth 
noting  in  the  conversation  except  that  the  Minister 
again  insisted  that  it  would  be  only  fair  to  invest  the 
wounded  with  the  Iron  Cross.  "The  Coburger,"  he 
went  on,  "  said  to  me  the  other  day,  '  It  would  really 
be  a  satisfaction  if  the  soldiers  also  got  the  Cross  now.' 
1  replied,  '  Yes,  but  it  is  less  satisfactory  that  we  two 
should  have  received  it.'  " 

Monday,  January  23rd. — I  telegraph  that  the 
bombardment  on  the  north  side  has  made  good  progress, 
that  the  fort  at  Saint  Denis  has  been  silenced,  and  that 
an  outbreak  of  fire  has  been  observed  in  Saint  Denis 
itself  as  well  as  in  Paris.  AU  our  batteries  are  firing 
vigorously,  although  one  cannot  hear  them.  So  we  are 
told  by  Lieutenant  von  Uslar,  of  the  Hussars,  who 
brings  a  letter  to  the  Chief  from  Favre.  What  can  he 
want  ? 


Jan.23,  i87i]  FAVRE  ARRIVES  487 

Shortly  after  7  p.m.  Favre  arrived,  and  the  Chan- 
cellor had  an  interview  with  him,  which  lasted  about 
two  and  a  half  hours.  In  the  meantime  Hatzfeldt  and 
Bismarck-Bohlen  conversed  down  stairs  in  the  drawing- 
room  with  the  gentleman  who  accompanied  Favre,  and 
who  is  understood  to  be  his  son-in-law,  del  Kio.  He  is 
a  portrait  painter  by  profession,  but  came  with  his 
father-in-law  in  the  capacity  of  secretary.  Both  were 
treated  to  a  hastily  improvised  meal,  consisting  of 
cutlets,  scrambled  eggs,  ham,  &c.,  which  will  doubtless 
have  been  welcome  to  these  poor  martyrs  to  their  own 
obstinacy.  Shortly  after  10  o'clock  they  drove  off, 
accompanied  by  Hatzfeldt,  to  the  lodgings  assigned  to 
them  in  a  house  on  the  Boulevard  du  Roi,  where  Stieber 
and  the  military  police  also  happen  to  have  their 
quarters.  Hatzfeldt  accompanied  the  gentlemen  there. 
Favre  looked  very  depressed. 

The  Chief  drove  off  to  see  the  King  at  10.30  p.m., 
returning  in  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  He  looks 
exceedingly  pleased  as  he  enters  the  room  where  we  are 
sitting  at  tea.  He  first  asks  me  to  pour  him  out  a  cup 
of  tea,  and  he  eats  a  few  mouthfuls  of  bread  with  it. 
After  a  while  he  says  to  his  cousin,  "Do  you  know 
this  ?  "  and  then  whistled  a  short  tune,  the  signal  of  the 
hunter  that  he  has  brought  down  the  deer.  Bohlen 
replies,  "  Yes,  in  at  the  death."  The  Chief:  "No,  this 
way,"  and  he  whistled  again.  "A  hallali,"  he  adds. 
"  I  think  the  thing  is  finished."  Bohlen  remarked 
that  Favre  looked  "  awfully  shabby."  The  Chief  said  : 
"  I  find  he  has  grown  much  greyer  than  when  I  saw  him 
at  Ferri^res — also  stouter,  probably  on  horseflesh. 
Otherwise  he  looks  like  one  who  has  been  through  a 
great  deal  of  trouble  and  excitement  lately,  and  to 
whom  everything  is  now  indifferent.     Moreover,  he  was 


488  BISMARCK'S  IMPATIENCE  [Jan.  24,  187 1 

very  frank,  and  confessed  that  things  are  not  going  on 
well  in  Paris.  I  also  ascertained  from  him  that  Trochu  has 
been  superseded.  Vinoy  is  now  in  command  of  the 
city."  Bohlen  then  related  that  Martinez  del  Eio  was 
exceedingly  reserved.  They,  for  their  part,  had  not 
tried  to  pump  him ;  but  they  once  inquired  how  things 
were  going  on  at  the  Villa  Rothschild  in  the  Bois  de 
Boulogne,  where  Thiers  said  the  General  Staff  of  the 
Paris  army  was  quartered.  Del  Kio  answered  curtly 
that  he  did  not  know.  For  the  rest,  they  had  talked 
solely  about  high-class  restaurants  in  Paris,  which,  they 
acknowledged,  was  an  unmannerly  thing  to  do.  Hatzfeldt 
on  his  return,  after  conducting  the  two  Parisians  to 
their  lodgings,  reported  that  Favre  was  glad  to  have 
arrived  after  dark,  and  that  he  does  not  wish  to  go  out 
in  the  daytime  in  order  not  to  create  a  sensation,  and 
to  avoid  being  pestered  by  the  Versailles  people. 

Tuesday,  January  lUh. — The  Chief  gets  up  before 
9  o'clock  and  works  with  Abeken.  Shortly  before  10 
he  drives  off  to  see  the  King,  or,  let  us  now  say,  the 
Emperor.  It  is  nearly  1  o'clock  when  he  returns.  We 
are  still  at  lunch,  and  he  sits  down  and  takes  some 
roast  ham  and  a  glass  of  Tivoli  beer.  After  a  while  he 
heaves  a  sigh  and  says  :  "  Until  now  I  always  thought 
that  Parliamentary  negotiations  were  the  slowest  of  all, 
but  I  no  longer  think  so.  There  was  at  least  one  way 
of  escape  there — to  move  '  that  the  question  should  be 
now  put.'  But  here  everybody  says  whatever  occurs 
to  him,  and  when  one  imagines  the  matter  is  finally 
settled,  somebody  brings  forward  an  argument  that  has 
already  been  disposed  of,  and  so  the  whole  thing  has 
to  be  gone  over  again,  which  is  quite  hopeless.  That 
is  stewing  thought  to  rags — mere  flatulence  which  people 
ought  really  to  be  able  to  restrain.     Well,  it's  all  the 


Jan.  24,  i87i]  DIPLOMATIC  TWADDLE  489 

same  to  me !  I  even  prefer  that  notliing  should  have 
been  yet  decided  or  shall  be  decided  till  to-morrow.  It 
is  merely  the  waste  of  time  in  having  to  listen  to  them, 
but  of  course  such  people  do  not  think  of  that."  The 
Chief  then  said  that  he  expected  Favre  to  call  upon  him 
again,  and  that  he  had  advised  him  to  leave  at  3  o'clock 
(Favre  wishes  to  return  to  Paris)  "  on  account  of  the 
soldiers  who  would  challenge  him  after  dark,  and  to 
whom  he  could  not  reply." 

Favre  arrived  at  1.30  p.m.  and  spent  nearly  two 
hours  in  negotiation  with  the  Chancellor.  He  afterwards 
drove  off  towards  Paris,  being  accompanied  by  Bismarck- 
Bohlen  as  far  as  the  bridge  at  Sevres. 

These  negotiations  were  not  mentioned  at  dinner. 
It  would  appear,  however,  to  be  a  matter  of  course  that 
the  preliminaries  of  the  capitulation  were  discussed. 
The  Chief  spoke  at  first  of  Bernstorff,  and  said  :  "  Any- 
how, that  is  a  thing  I  have  never  yet  been  able  to 
manage — to  fill  page  after  page  of  foolscap  with  the 
most  insignificant  twaddle.  A  pile  so  high  has  come 
in  again  to-day  " — he  pointed  with  his  hand — "  and 
then  the  back  references  :  '  As  I  had  the  honour  to 
report  in  my  despatch  of  January  3rd,  1863,  No.  so- 
and-so  ;  as  I  announced  most  obediently  in  my  telegram 
No.  1666.'  I  send  them  to  the  King,  and  he  wants  to 
know  what  Bernstorff  means,  and  always  writes  in  pencil 
on  the  margin,  '  Don't  understand  this.  This  is  awful  ! '  " 
Somebody  observed  that  it  was  only  Goltz  who  wrote 
as  much  as  Bernstorff.  "  Yes,"  said  the  Chief,  "  and  in 
addition  he  often  sent  me  private  letters  that  filled  six 
to  eight  closely-written  sheets.  He  must  have  had  a 
terrible  amount  of  spare  time.  Fortunately  I  fell  out 
with  him,  and  then  that  blessing  ceased."  One  of  the 
company  wondered   what  Goltz   would  say  if  he  now 


490  BISMARCK'S  HUMOUR  [Jan.  24,  187 1 

heard  that  the  Emperor  was  a  prisoner,  and  the  Empress 
in  London,  while  Paris  was  being  besieged  and  bom- 
barded by  US.  "  Well,"  replied  the  Chief,  "  he  was  not 
so  desperately  attached  to  the  Emperor — but  the 
Empress  in  London !  Nevertheless,  in  spite  of  his 
devotion  to  her,  he  would  not  have  given  himself  away 
as  Werther  did." 

The  death  of  a  Belgian  Princess  having  been 
mentioned,  Abeken,  as  in  duty  bound,  expressed  his 
grief  at  the  event.  The  Chief  said  :  "  How  can  that 
ajffect  you  so  much  ?  To  my  knowledge,  there  is  no 
Belgian  here  at  table,  nor  even  a  cousin." 

The  Minister  then  related  that  Favre  complained  of 
our  firing  at  the  sick  and  blind — that  is  to  say,  the 
blind  asylum.  "  I  said  to  him,  '  I  really  do  not  see 
what  you  have  to  complain  about.  You  yourselves  do 
much  worse,  seeing  that  you  shoot  at  our  sound  and 
healthy  men.'  He  will  have  thought  :  What  a  bar- 
barian ! "  Hohenlohe's  name  was  then  mentioned,  and 
it  was  said  that  much  of  the  success  of  the  bombardment 
was  due  to  him.  The  Chief  :  "I  shall  propose  for  him 
the  title  of  Poliorketes."  The  conversation  then  turned 
on  the  statues  and  paintings  of  the  Restoration,  and  their 
artificiality  and  bad  taste.  "  I  remember,"  said  the 
Chief,  "  that  Schuckmann,  the  Minister,  was  painted  by 
his  wife,  en  coquille  I  think  it  was  called  at  that  time, 
that  is,  in  a  rose-coloured  shell,  and  wearing  a  kind  of 
antique  costume.  He  was  naked  down  to  the  waist — 
I  had  never  seen  him  like  that."  "That  is  one  of  my 
earliest  remembrances.  They  often  gave  what  used  to 
be  called  assemblees,  and  are  now  known  as  routs — a 
ball  without  supper.  My  parents  usually  went  there." 
Thereupon,  the  Chief  once  more  described  his  mother's 
postume,  and  then  continued  :  "  There  was  afterwards  a 


Jan.  24, 1 87 1  ]  AN  IN  HO  SPIT  A  BLE  HO  USE  491 

Russian  Minister  in  Berlin,  Ribeaupierre,  who  also  gave 
balls,  where  people  danced  till  2  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  there  was  nothing  to  eat.  I  know  that,  because  I 
and  a  couple  of  good  friends  were  often  there.  At 
length  we  got  tired  of  it,  and  played  them  a  trick. 
When  it  got  late,  we  pulled  out  some  bread  and  butter 
from  our  pockets,  and  after  we  had  finished,  we  pitched 
the  paper  on  the  drawing-room  floor.  Refreshments 
were  provided  next  time,  but  we  were  not  invited  any 
more." 


/ 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

DURING  THE  NEGOTIATIONS  RESPECTING  THE  CAPITULATION 

OF  PARIS 

Wednesday,  January  25th. — Count  LehndorfF  dined 
with  us,  and  talked  about  hunting  and  hunting  dinners, 
including  a  great  banquet  given  by  some  Baron  which 
consisted  of  no  less  than  twenty-four  courses.  His 
brother  was  present  and  fell  asleep  propped  on  his 
elbows,  while  a  neighbour  of  his  sunk  into  slumber  on 
the  shoulder  of  a  governess  who  was  sitting  next  him. 
The  dinner  lasted  over  five  hours  and  the  people  were 
most  horribly  bored,  as  often  happens  in  the  country. 
The  Chief  remarked  :  "I  always  know  how  to  get  over 
that  difficulty.  One  must  put  down  a  good  bit  of  liquor 
right  at  the  beginning,  and  under  its  influence  one's 
neighbours  to  the  left  and  right  grow  ever  so  much 
cleverer  and  pleasanter." 

The  Minister  then  spoke  about  his  first  journey  to 
St.  Petersburg.  He  drove  in  a  carriage,  as  at  first  there 
was  no  snow.  It  fell  very  heavily  later  on,  however, 
and  progress  was  terribly  slow.  It  took  him  five  full 
days  and  six  nights  to  reach  the  first  railway  station, 
and  he  spent  the  whole  time  cramped  up  in  a  narrow 
carriage  without  sleep  and  with  the  thermometer  at 
fifteen  degrees  Reaumur  below  zero.  In  the  train,  how- 
ever he  fell  so  fast  asleep  that  on  their  arrival  in  St. 


Jan.25,  i87i]      DIPLOMATIC  DESPATCH  WRITERS  493 


Petersburg,  after  a  ten  hours'  run,  he  felt  as  if  he  had 
been  only  five  minutes  in  the  railway  carriage. 

"  The  old  times  before  the  railways  were  completed 
had  also  their  good  side,"  continued  the  Minister. 
'\There  was  not  so  much  to  do.  The  mail  only  came  in 
twice  a  week,  and  then  one  worked  as  if  for  a  wager. 
But  when  the  mail  was  over  we  got  on  horseback,  and 
had  a  good  time  of  it  until  its  next  arrival."  Somebody 
observed  that  the  increased  work,  both  abroad  and  at  the 
Foreign  Office,  was  due  more  to  the  telegraph  than  to 
the  railways.  This  led  the  Chief  to  talk  about  diplomatic 
reports  in  general,  many  of  which,  while  written  in  a 
pleasant  style,  were  quite  empty.  "  They  are  like 
feuilletons,  written  merely  because  something  has  to 
be  written.  That  was  the  case,  for  instance,  with  the 
reports  of  Bamberg,  our  Consul  in  Paris.  One  read 
them  through  always  thinking  :  Now  something  is 
coming.  But  nothing  ever  came.  They  sounded  very 
well  and  one  read  on  and  on.  But  there  was  really 
nothing  in  them.  All  barren  and  empty."  Another 
instance  was  then  mentioned,  Bernhardi,  our  Military 
Plenipotentiary  at  Florence,  of  whom  the  Chief  said  : 
"  He  passes  for  being  a  good  writer  on  military  subjects 
because  of  his  work  on  Toll.  We  do  not  know,  however, 
how  much  of  that  he  himself  wrote.  Thereupon  he  was 
given  the  rank  of  major,  although  it  is  not  certain  that 
he  ever  was  an  ofiicer  at  all,  and  he  was  appointed 
Military  Plenipotentiary  in  Italy.  Great  things  were 
expected  of  him  there,  and  in  the  matter  of  quantity  he 
did  a  great  deal — also  in  the  matter  of  style.  He  writes 
in  an  agreeable  way,  as  if  for  a  feuilleton,  but  w^hen  I 
have  got  to  the  end  of  his  closely-written  reports  in  a 
small  neat  hand,  for  all  their  length  I  have  found 
nothing  in  them."     .     .     . 


494     TIRESOME  JOURNEYS  AND  LONG  RIDES  [Jan.25, 1871 

The  Minister  then  returned  to  the  subject  of  tire- 
some journeys  and  long  rides.  He  said  :  "  I  remember 
after  the  battle  of  Sadowa  I  was  the  whole  day  in  the 
saddle  on  a  big  horse.  At  first  I  did  not  want  to  ride 
him  as  he  was  too  high  and  it  was  too  much  trouble  to 
mount.  At  last,  however,  I  did  so,  and  I  was  not  sorry 
for  it.  It  was  an  excellent  animal !  But  the  long 
waiting  above  the  valley  had  exhausted  me  and  my  seat 
and  legs  were  very  sore.  The  skin  was  not  broken, that  has 
never  happened  to  me,  but  afterwards  when  I  sat  down 
on  a  wooden  bench  I  had  a  feeling;  as  if  I  were  sittino;  on 
something  that  came  between  me  and  the  wood.  It 
was  only  a  blister.  After  Sadowa  we  arrived  late  at 
night  in  the  market-place  of  Horsitz.  There  we  were 
told  that  we  were  to  seek  out  our  own  quarters.  That, 
however,  was  much  easier  said  than  done.  The  houses 
were  bolted  and  barred,  and  the  sappers,  who  might 
have  broken  in  the  doors  for  us,  were  not  to  arrive 
before  five  in  the  morning."  "  His  Excellency  knew  how 
to  help  himself  in  a  similar  case  at  Gravelotte,"  in- 
terrupted Delbrlick.  The  Chief  continued  his  story  : 
"  Well,  I  went  to  several  houses  at  Horsitz,  three  or 
four,  and  at  length  I  found  a  door  open.  After  making 
a  few  steps  into  the  dark  I  fell  into  a  kind  of  pit. 
Luckily  it  was  not  deep,  and  I  was  able  to  satisfy 
myself  that  it  was  filled  with  horse-dung.  I  thought  at 
first,  '  How  would  it  be  to  remain  here,' — on  the  dung- 
heap,  but  I  soon  recognised  other  smells.  What  curious 
things  happen  sometimes  !  If  that  pit  had  been  twenty 
feet  deep,  and  full,  they  would  have  had  a  long  search 
next  morning  for  their  Minister,  and  doubtless  there 
would  be  no  Chancellor  of  the  Confederation  to-day."  "  I 
went  out  again  and  finally  found  a  corner  for  myself  in 
an   arcade  on   the  market-place.       I   laid   a   couple  of 


Jan.  25,  1871]  HENRI  IV.'S  BAD  LUCK  495 

carriage  cushions  on  the  ground  and  made  a  pillow  of  a 
third,  and  then  stretched  myself  out  to  sleep.  Later  on 
some  one  waked  me.  It  was  Perponcher,  who  told  me 
that  the  Grand  Duke  of  Mecklenburg  had  a  room  for  me 
and  an  unoccupied  bed.  That  turned  out  to  be  correct, 
but  the  bed  was  only  a  child's  cot.  I  managed  to  fix  it, 
however,  by  arranging  the  back  of  a  chair  at  the  end  of 
it.  But  in  the  morning  I  could  hardly  stand,  as  my 
knees  had  been  resting  on  the  bare  boards."  "  One  can 
sleep  quite  comfortably  if  one  has  only  a  sackful  of  straw, 
however  small.  You  cut  it  open  in  the  middle,  push 
the  straw  to  the  two  ends,  and  let  yourself  into  the 
hollow  part.  I  used  to  do  that  in  Russia  when  out 
hunting.  I  ripped  the  bag  open  with  my  hunting 
knife,  crept  into  it  and  slept  like  a  log."  "  That  was 
when  the  despatch  from  Napoleon  came,"  observed 
Bohlen.  The  Chief  replied  :  "  Yes,  the  one  at  which 
the  King  was  so  pleased,  because  it  showed  that  he  had 
won  a  great  battle — ^his  first  great  battle."  "  And  you 
were  also  glad,"  said  Bohlen,  "  and  you  swore  an  oath 
that  you  would  one  day  requite  the  Gauls  when  an 
opportunity  offered." 

Finally  the  Chief  related  :  "  Favre  told  me  the  day 
before  yesterday  that  the  first  shell  that  fell  in  the 
Pantheon  cut  off  the  head  of  the  statue  of  Henri  IV." 
"He  doubtless  thought  that  was  a  very  pathetic  piece 
of  news,"  suggested  Bohlen.  "  Oh,  no,"  replied  the 
Chief,  "  I  rather  fancy  that,  as  a  democrat,  he  was 
pleased  that  it  should  have  happened  to  a  King." 
Bohlen  :  "  That  is  the  second  piece  of  bad  luck  that 
Henri  has  had  in  Paris.  First  a  Frenchman  stabbed 
him  there,  and  now  we  have  beheaded  him." 

The  dinner  lasted  very  long  this  evening,  from  5.30 
till  after  7.     Favre  was  expected  back  from  Paris  every 


496  FAVRE  CONFERS   WITH  BISMARCK    [Jan.  25,  187 1 

moment.  He  came  at  length  at  7.30,  again  accom- 
panied by  his  son-in-law  with  the  Spanish  name.  It  is 
understood  that  neither  hesitated  this  time,  as  they 
did  on  the  former  occasion,  to  take  the  food  that  was 
offered  to  them,  but,  like  sensible  people,  did  justice  to 
the  good  things  that  were  laid  before  them.  It  is 
doubtless  to  be  inferred  from  this  that  they  have  also 
listened  to  reason  in  the  main  point,  or  will  do  so. 
That  will  soon  appear,  as  Favre  is  again  conferring  with 
the  Chancellor. 

After  dinner  read  drafts.  Instructions  have  been 
sent  to  Rosenberg-Grrudcinski  at  Reims  respecting  the 
collection  of  taxes.  The  Municipalities  are  to  be  called 
upon  to  pay  five  per  cent,  extra  for  each  day  of  arrears. 
Flying  columns  with  artillery  are  to  be  sent  to  districts 
where  payment  is  obstinately  refused.  They  are  to 
summon  the  inhabitants  to  pay  up  the  taxes  and  if  this 
is  not  done  immediately  to  shell  the  place  and  set  it  on 
fire.  Three  examples  would  render  a  fourth  unneces- 
sary. It  is  not  our  business  to  win  over  the  French  by 
considerate  treatment  or  to  take  their  welfare  into 
account.  On  the  contrary,  in  view  of  their  character, 
it  is  desirable  to  inspire  them  with  a  greater  fear  of  us 
than  of  their  own  Government,  which,  of  course,  also 
enforces  compulsory  measures  against  them.  According 
to  a  report  by  the  Minister  of  the  Netherlands  to  his 
Government,  the  Red  Republicans  in  Paris  attempted  a 
risino;  the  nioht  before  last,  released  some  of  their 
leaders,  and  then  provoked  a' riot  outside  the  Hotel  de 
Ville.  The  National  Guard  fired  upon  the  Mobiles, 
and  there  were  some  dead  and  wounded,  but  ultimately 
order  was  restored. 

About  10  o'clock,  while  Favre  was  still  here,  there 
was  heavy  firing  from  big  guns  which  continued  for 


Jan.  25,  187 1]       "  THE  CENTRE  OF  THE   WORLD''  a97 

perhaps  an  hour.  I  went  to  tea  at  10.30  p.m.,  and 
found  Hatzfeldt  and  Bismarck-Bohlen  in  conversation 
with  Del  Rio  in  the  dining-room.  He  is  a  man  of 
medium  height,  dark  beard,  slightly  bald,  and  wears  a 
pince-nez.  Shortly  after  I  came  down,  he  left  for  his 
quarters  at  Stieber's  house,  accompanied  by  Mantey, 
and  he  was  followed  a  quarter  of  an  hour  later  by 
Favre.  Del  Rio  spoke  of  Paris  as  being  the  "  centre 
du  monde,"  so  that  the  bombardment  is  a  kind  of 
target  practice  at  the  centre  of  the  world.  He  men- 
tioned that  Favre  has  a  villa  at  Reuil  and  a  large  cellar 
in  Paris  with  all  sorts  of  wine,  and  that  he  himself  has 
an  estate  in  Mexico  of  six  square  German  miles  in 
extent.  After  Favre's  departure  the  Chief  came  out  to 
us,  ate  some  cold  partridge,  asked  for  some  ham,  and 
drank  a  bottle  of  beer.  After  a  while  he  sighed,  and 
sitting  up  straight  in  his  chair,  he  exclaimed  :  "  If  one 
could  only  decide  and  order  these  things  one's  self  !  But 
to  bring  others  to  do  it  !  "  He  paused  for  a  minute 
and  then  continued  :  "  What  surprises  me  is  that  they 
have  not  sent  out  any  general.  And  it  is  difficult  to 
make  Favre  understand  military  matters."  He  then 
mentioned  a  couple  of  French  technical  terms  of  which 
Favre  did  not  know  the  meaning.  "  Well,  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  he  had  a  proper  meal  to-day,"  said  Bohlen. 
The  Chief  replied  in  the  affirmative,  and  then  Bohlen 
said  he  had  heard  it  rumoured  that  this  time  Favre  had 
not  despised  the  champagne.  The  Chief:  "Yes,  the 
day  before  yesterday  he  refused  to  take  any,  but  to-day 
he  had  several  glasses.  The  first  time  he  had  some 
scruples  of  conscience  about  eating,  but  I  persuaded 
him,  and  his  hunger  doubtless  supported  me,  for  he  ate 
like  one  who  had  had  a  long  fast." 

Hatzfeldt  reported    that    the   Mayor,  Rameau,  had 

VOL.  I  K   K 


498        FA  VRE  IMPRO  VES  ON  ACQUAINTANCE     [Jan.  25,  1871 

called  about  an  hour  before  and  asked  if  M.  Favre  was 
here.  He  wanted  to  speak  to  him  and  to  place  himself 
at  his  disposal.  Might  he  do  so  ?  He,  Hatzfeldt,  had 
replied  that  of  course  he  did  not  know.  The  Chief: 
"For  a  man  to  come  in  the  night  to  a  person  who  is 
returning  to  Paris  is  sufficient  of  itself  to  bring  him 
before  a  court-martial.  The  audacious  fellow ! " 
Bohlen  :  "  Mantey  has  doubtless  already  told  Stieber. 
Probably  this  M.  Kameau  is  anxious  to  return  to  his 
cell."  (Rameau  was  obliged  some  time  since  to  study 
the  interior  of  one  of  the  cells  in  the  prison  in  the  Rue 
Saint  Pierre  for  a  few  days  in  company  with  some  other 
members  of  the  corporation — if  I  am  not  mistaken,  on 
account  of  some  refusal  or  some  insolent  reply  about 
supplying  provisions  for  Versailles.) 

The  Minister  then  related  some  particulars  of  his 
interview  with  Favre.  "  I  like  him  better  now  than  at 
Ferrieres,"  he  said.  "  He  spoke  a  good  deal  and  in  long, 
well-rounded  periods.  It  was  often  not  necessary  to 
pay  attention  or  to  answer.  They  were  anecdotes  of 
former  times.  He  is  a  very  good  raconteur T  "  He 
was  not  at  all  offended  at  my  recent  letter  to  him.  On 
the  contrary,  he  felt  indebted  to  me  for  calling  his 
attention  to  what  he  owed  to  himself."  "  He  also  spoke 
of  having  a  villa  near  Paris,  which  was,  however,  wrecked 
and  pillaged.  I  had  it  on  the  tip  of  my  tongue  to  say, 
'  But  not  by  us  ! '  but  he  himself  immediately  added  that 
it  had  doubtless  been  done  by  the  Mobiles."  "  He  then 
complained  that  Saint  Cloud  had  been  burning  for  the 
last  three  days,  and  wanted  to  persuade  me  that  we  had 
set  the  palace  there  on  fire."  "  In  speaking  of  the 
franctireurs  and  their  misdeeds,  he  wished  to  call  my 
attention  to  our  guerillas  in  1813 — they  indeed  had 
been  much  worse.    I  said  to  him  :  '  I  don't  want  to  deny 


Jan.  25,  i87i]        INTERMITTENT  STARVATION  499 

that,  but  you  are  also  aware  that  the  French  shot  them 
whenever  they  caught  them.  And  they  did  not  shoot 
them  all  in  one  place,  but  one  batch  on  the  spot  where 
the  act  was  committed,  another  batch  at  the  next  halt, 
and  so  on,  in  order  to  serve  as  a  deterrent.' "  "  He 
maintained  that  in  the  last  engagement,  on  the  19th, 
the  National  Guard,  recruited  from  the  well-to-do  classes, 
fought  best,  while  the  battalions  raised  from  the  lower 
classes  were  worthless." 

The  Chief  paused  for  a  while  and  seemed  to  be 
reflecting.  He  then  continued  :  "If  the  Parisians  first 
received  a  supply  of  provisions  and  were  then  again  put 
on  half  rations  and  once  more  obliged  to  starve,  that 
ought,  I  think,  to  work.  It  is  like  flogging.  When  it 
is  administered  continuously  it  is  not  felt  so  much.  But 
when  it  is  suspended  for  a  time  and  then  another  dose 
inflicted,  it  hurts  !  I  know  that  from  the  criminal 
court  where  I  was  employed.  Flogging  was  still  in  use 
there." 

The  subject  of  flogging  in  general  was  then  discussed, 
and  Bohlen,  who  favours  its  retention,  observed  that  the 
English  had  re-introduced  it.  "  Yes,"  said  Bucher,  "  but 
first  for  personal  insult  to  the  Queen,  on  the  occasion  of 
an  outrage  against  the  Royal  person,  and  afterwards  for 
garrotting."  The  Chief  then  related  that  in  1863,  when 
the  garrotters  appeared  in  London,  he  was  often  obliged 
to  go  after  twelve  o'clock  at  night  through  a  solitary 
lane,  containing  only  stables  and  full  of  heaps  of  horse- 
dung,  which  led  from  Regent  Street  to  his  lodgings  in 
Park  Street.  To  his  terror,  he  read  in  the  papers  that 
a  number  of  these  attacks  had  taken  place  on  that  very 
spot. 

Then,  after  a  pause,  the  Minister  said  :  "  This  is  really 
an  unheard-of  proceeding  on  the   part  of  the   English. 

K  K  2 


5CX)  ENGLISH  JEALOUSY  [Jan.  25,  187 1 

They  want  to  send  a  gunboat  up  the  Seine "  (Odo 
Eussell  put  forward  this  demand,  which  the  Chancellor 
absolutely  refused)  "in  order,  they  say,  to  remove  the 
English  families  there.  They  merely  want  to  ascertain 
if  we  have  laid  down  torpedoes  and  then  to  let  the 
French  ships  follow  them.  What  swine  !  They  are  full 
of  vexation  and  envy  because  we  have  fought  great 
battles  here — and  won  them.  They  cannot  bear  to  think 
that  shabby  little  Prussia  should  prosper  so.  The 
Prussians  are  a  people  who  should  merely  exist  in  order 
to  carry  on  war  for  them  in  their  pay.  This  is  the  view 
taken  by  all  the  upper  classes  in  England.  They  have 
never  been  well  disposed  towards  us,  and  have  always 
done  their  utmost  to  injure  us."  "  The  Crown  Princess 
herself  is  an  incarnation  of  this  way  of  thinking.  She  is 
full  of  her  own  great  condescension  in  marrying  into  our 
country.  I  remember  her  once  telling  me  that  two  or 
three  merchant  families  in  Liverpool  had  more  silver- 
plate  than  the  entire  Prussian  nobility.  '  Yes,'  I  replied, 
*  that  is  possibly  true,  your  Poyal  Highness,  but  we 
value  ourselves  for  other  things  besides  silver.' " 

The  Minister  remained  silent  for  a  while.  Then  he 
said  :  "  I  have  often  thought  over  what  would  have 
happened  if  we  had  gone  to  war  about  Luxemburg — 
should  I  now  be  in  Paris  or  would  the  French  be  in 
Berlin  ?  I  think  I  did  well  to  prevent  war  at  that  time. 
We  should  not  have  been  nearly  so  strong  as  we  are  to- 
day. At  that  time  the  Hanoverians  would  not  have 
made  trustworthy  soldiers.  I  will  say  nothing  about 
the  Hessians — they  would  have  done  well.  The  Schleswig- 
Holstein  men  have  now  fought  like  lions,  but  there  was 
no  army  there  then.  Saxony  was  also  useless.  The 
army  had  been  disbanded  and  had  to  be  recruited  over 
again.     And  there  was  little  confidence  to  be  placed  in 


Jan.  25,  1871]      THE  LUXEMBURG  QUESTION  501 

the  South  Germans.  The  Wiirtembergers,  what  excellent 
fellows  they  are  now,  quite  first  rate!  But  in  1866 
they  would  have  been  laughed  at  by  every  soldier  as 
they  marched  into  Frankfurt  like  so  many  militiamen. 
The  Baden  troops  were  also  not  up  to  the  mark.  Beyer, 
and  indeed  the  Grand  Duke,  has  since  then  done  a  great 
deal  for  them."  "It  is  true  that  public  opinion 
throughout  Germany  would  have  been  on  our  side  had 
we  wished  to  fight  for  Luxemburg.  But  that  was  not 
enough  to  compensate  for  such  deficiencies.  Moreover, 
we  had  not  right  on  our  side.  I  have  never  confessed 
it  publicly,  but  I  can  say  it  here  :  after  the  dissolution 
of  the  Confederation  the  Grand  Duke  had  become  the 
sovereign  of  Luxemburg  and  could  have  done  what  he 
liked  with  the  country.  It  would  have  been  mean  of 
him  to  part  with  it  for  money,  but  it  was  open  to  him 
to  cede  it  to  France.  Our  right  of  occupation  was  also 
not  well  founded.  Properly  speaking,  after  the  dissolu- 
tion of  the  Confederation  we  ought  no  longer  to  have 
occupied  even  Rastatt  and  Mayence.  I  said  that  in  the 
Council — I  had  at  that  time  yet  another  idea,  namely, 
to  hand  over  Luxemburg  to  Belgium.  In  that  case  we 
should  have  united  it  to  a  country  on  behalf  of  whose 
neutrality,  as  people  then  thought,  England  would 
intervene.  That  would  also  have  strengthened  the 
German  element  there  against  the  French  speaking- 
inhabitants,  and  at  the  same  time  have  secured  a  good 
frontier.  My  proposal  was  not  received  with  any  favour, 
and  it  is  just  as  well  as  it  has  turned  out." 

Bismarck-Bohlen  drew  attention  to  a  capital  cartoon 
in  Kladderadatsch :  Napoleon  waiting  on  the  platform 
of  the  railway  station  and  saying  "They  have  already 
given  the  signal  to  start."  He  has  put  on  an  ermine 
cloak   for   his  journey  to   Paris,   and   is   carrying  his 


502  A  GRIM  JOKE  [Jan.  26,  187 1 

portmanteau  in  liis  hand.  The  Chief,  however,  observed  : 
"  Doubtless  he  thinks  so,  and  he  may  be  right.  But  I 
fear  he  will  miss  the  train.  Yet,  after  all,  there  may  be 
no  other  way  left.  He  would  be  easier  to  convince  than 
Favre.  But  he  would  always  require  half  the  army  to 
maintain  him  on  the  throne." 

Thursday,  January  2^th. — The  Chief  drove  off  to 
see  the  King  at  10.30  a.m. 

Herr  Hans  von  Eochow  and  Count  Lehndorff  dined 
with  us.  The  Chief  talked  about  Favre  :  "  He  told  me 
that  on  Sundays  the  boulevards  are  still  full  of 
fashionably  dressed  women  with  pretty  children.  I 
remarked  to  him,  '  I  am  surprised  at  that.  I  wonder 
you  have  not  yet  eaten  them  ! '  "  As  some  one  noticed 
that  the  firing  was  particularly  heavy  to-day,  the 
Minister  observed  :  "I  remember  in  the  criminal  court 
we  once  had  a  subordinate  official — I  believe  his  name 
was  Stepki — whose  business  it  was  to  administer  the 
floggings.  He  was  accustomed  to  lay  on  the  last 
three  strokes  with  exceptional  vigour — as  a  wholesome 
memento  ! "  The  conversation  then  turned  upon 
Strousberg,  whose  bankruptcy  was  said  to  be  imminent, 
and  the  Chief  said  :  "He  once  told  me,  '  I  know  I 
shall  not  even  die  in  my  own  house.'  But  for  the 
war,  it  would  not  have  happened  so  soon,  perhaps 
not  at  all.  He  always  kept  afloat  by  issuing  new 
shares,  and  the  game  succeeded,  although  other  Jews, 
who  had  made  money  before  him,  did  their  best  to 
spoil  it.  But  now  comes  the  war,  and  his  Eumanians 
have  fallen  lower  and  lower,  so  that  at  present  one 
might  ask  how  much  they  cost  per  hundredweight. 
For  all  that,  he  remains  a  clever  man  and  indefatigable." 
The  mention  of  Stroussberg's  cleverness  and  restless 
activity  led  on  to  Gambetta,  who   was    said   to  have 


Jan.  26,  1871]  THE  DUC  DE  MORNY  503 

also  "  made  his  five  millions  out  of  the  war."  But 
doubts  were  expressed  on  this  point,  and  I  believe 
rightly.  After  the  Dictator  of  Bordeaux,  it  was  Napo- 
leon's turn  to  be  discussed,  and  according  to  Bohlen, 
people  said  he  had  saved  at  least  fifty  millions 
during  the  nineteen  years  of  his  reign.  "  Others  say 
eighty  millions,"  added  the  Chief,  "  but  I  doubt  it. 
Louis  Philippe  spoiled  the  business.  He  had  riots  ar- 
ranged, and  then  bought  stocks  on  the  Amsterdam 
Exchange,  but  at  last  business  men  saw  through  it." 
Hatzfeldt  or  Keudell  then  observed  that  this  resourceful 
monarch  used  to  fall  ill  from  time  to  time  with  a 
similar  object. 

Morny  was  then  spoken  of  as  having  been  specially 
ingenious  in  making  money  in  every  possible  w^ay  under 
the  Empire.  The  Chief  told  us  that  "  when  Morny 
was  appointed  Ambassador  to  St.  Petersburg  he  ap- 
peared with  a  whole  collection  of  elegant  carriages, 
some  forty-three  of  them  altogether,  and  all  his  chests, 
trunks  and  boxes  were  full  of  laces,  silks,  and  feminine 
finery,  upon  which,  as  Ambassador,  he  had  to  pay  no 
customs  duty.  Every  servant  had  his  own  carriage, 
and  every  attache  and  secretary  had  at  least  two.  A 
few  days  after  his  arrival  he  sold  off"  the  whole  lot  by 
auction,  clearing  at  least  800,000  roubles.  He  was  a 
thief,  but  an  amiable  one."  The  Chief  then,  pursuing 
the  same  subject  and  quoting  further  instances,  con- 
tinued :  "  For  the  matter  of  that,  influential  people  in 
St,  Petersburg  understood  this  sort  of  business — not 
that  they  were  willing  to  take  money  directly.  But 
when  a  person  wanted  something,  he  went  to  a  certain 
French  shop,  and  bought  expensive  laces,  gloves  or 
jewellery,  perhaps  for  five  or  six  thousand  roubles. 
The    shop    was    run    on  behalf  of   some  official  or  his 


504  A  ''LOVELY''  STORY  [Jan.  26,  187 1 

wife.  This  process  repeated,  say,  twice  a  week,  pro- 
duced quite  a  respectable  amount  in  the  course  of  the 
year." 

Bohlen  called  out  across  the  table  :  "  Do,  please,  tell 
that  lovely  story  about  the  Jew  with  the  torn  boots  who 
got  twenty -five  lashes."  The  Chief  :  "  It  came  about  in 
this  way.  One  day  a  Jew  called  at  our  Chancellerie 
declaring  that  he  was  penniless,  and  wanted  to  be  sent 
back  to  Prussia.  He  was  terribly  tattered,  and  he  had 
on  in  particular  a  pair  of  boots  that  showed  his  naked 
toes.  He  was  told  that  he  would  be  sent  home,  but 
then  he  wanted  to  get  other  boots  as  it  was  so  cold. 
He  demanded  them  as  a  right,  and  became  so  forward 
and  impudent,  screaming  and  calling  names,  that  our 
people  did  not  know  what  to  do  with  him.  And  the 
servants  also  could  not  trust  themselves  to  deal  with 
the  furious  creature.  At  length,  when  the  row  had 
become  intolerable,  I  was  called  to  render  physical 
assistance.  I  told  the  man  to  be  quiet  or  I  would  have 
him  locked  up.  He  answered  defiantly  :  '  You  can't  do 
that.  You  have  no  right  whatever  to  do  that  in 
Eussia  ! '  '  We  shall  see  ! '  I  replied.  '  I  must  send  you 
home,  but  I  am  not  called  upon  to  give  you  boots, 
although  perhaps  I  might  have  done  so.  But  first  you 
shall  receive  punishment  for  your  abominable  behaviour.' 
He  then  repeated  that  I  could  not  touch  him.  There- 
upon I  opened  the  window  and  beckoned  to  a  Russian 
policeman,  who  was  stationed  a  little  way  off".  My  Jew 
continued  to  shriek  and  abuse  us  until  the  policeman,  a 
tall  stout  man,  came  in.  I  said,  '  Take  him  with  you — 
lock  him  up  till  to-morrow — twenty -five  ! '  The  big 
policeman  took  the  little  Jew  with  him,  and  locked  him 
up.  He  came  again  next  morning  quite  transformed, 
very  humble  and  submissive,  and  declared  himself  ready 


Jan.  26,  1871]    REQUISITIONS  AND  CONTRIBUTIONS         505 

for  the  journey  without  new  boots.  I  asked  how  he 
had  got  on  in  the  interval.  Badly,  he  said,  very  badly. 
But  what  had  they  done  to  him  ?  They  had — well, 
they  had — physically  maltreated  him.  I  thought  that 
when  he  got  home  he  would  enter  a  complaint  against 
me,  or  get  his  case  into  the  newspapers — the  Volks- 
zeitung,  or  some  such  popular  organ.  The  Jews  know 
how  to  make  a  row.  But  he  must  have  decided  other- 
wise, for  nothing  more  was  heard  of  him." 

When  I  came  down  to  tea  at  10.30  p.m.  I  found  the 
Chief  in  conversation  with  the  members  of  Parliament, 
Von  Koller  and  Von  Forckenbeck.  The  Minister  was 
just  saying  that  more  money  would  soon  be  required. 
"  We  did  not  want  to  ask  more  from  the  Reichstag,"  he 
said,  "as  we  did  not  anticipate  that  the  war  would  last 
so  long.  I  have  written  to  Camphausen,  but  he  suggests 
requisitions  and  contributions.  They  are  very  difficult 
to  collect,  as  the  immense  area  of  country  over  which 
we  are  dispersed  requires  more  troops  than  we  can  spare 
for  purposes  of  coercion.  Two  million  soldiers  would  be 
necessary  to  deal  thoroughly  with  a  territory  of  12,000 
German  square  miles.  Besides,  everything  has  grown 
dearer  in  consequence  of  the  war.  Wlien  we  make  a 
requisition  we  get  nothing.  When  we  pay  cash  there 
is  always  enough  to  be  had  in  the  market,  and  cheaper 
than  in  Germany.  Here  the  bushel  of  oats  costs  four 
francs,  and  if  it  is  brought  from  Germany  six  francs.  1 
thought  at  first  of  getting  the  contributions  of  the 
different  States  paid  in  advance.  But  that  would  only 
amount  to  twenty  millions,  as  Bavaria  will  keep  her  own 
accounts  until  1872.  Another  way  out  of  ^ the  difficulty 
occurred  to  me,  namely,  to  apply  to  our  Diet  for  a  sum 
on  account.  But  we  must  first  find  out  what  Moltke 
proposes  to  extort  from  the  Parisians,  that  is  to  say, 


5o6        "  IV//V  MAKE  SO  MANY  PRISONERS?''     [Jan.  27,  1871 

from  the  city  of  Paris — for  that  is  what  we  are  dealing 
with  for  the  present."  Forckenbeck  was  of  opinion  that 
the  Chiefs  plan  would  meet  with  no  insurmountable 
resistance  in  the  Diet.  It  is  true  the  doctrinaires  would 
raise  objections,  and  others  would  complain  that  Prussia 
should  again  have  to  come  to  the  rescue  and  make 
sacrifices  for  the  rest  of  the  country,  but  in  all  proba- 
bility the  majority  would  go  with  the  Government. 
Roller  could  confirm  that  opinion,  which  he  did. 

Afterwards  an  officer  of  the  dark  blue  hussars,  a 
Count  Arnim  who  had  just  arrived  from  Le  Mans,  came 
in  and  gave  us  a  great  deal  of  interesting  news.  He 
said  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  appeared  to  be  very 
sensible  people  who  disapproved  of  Gambetta's  policy, 
and  everywhere  expressed  their  desire  for  peace.  "  Yes," 
replied  the  Chief,  "  that  is  very  good  of  the  people,  but 
how  does  it  help  us  if  with  all  their  good  sense  they 
allow  Gambetta,  time  after  time,  to  stamp  new  armies 
of  150,000  men  out  of  the  ground?"  Arnim  having 
further  related  that  they  had  again  made  great  numbers 
of  prisoners,  the  Minister  exclaimed  :  "  That  is  most 
unsatisfactory  !  What  shall  we  do  with  them  all  in  the 
end  ?  Why  make  so  many  prisoners  ?  Every  one  who 
makes  prisoners  ought  to  be  tried  by  court-martial.' 
This,  like  many  other  similar  expressions,  must  doubt- 
less not  be  taken  literally,  and  applies  only  to  the 
franctireurs. 

Friday^  January  27th. — It  is  said  that  the  bombard- 
ment ceased  at  midnight.  It  was  to  have  recommenced 
at  6  o'clock  this  morning  in  case  the  Paris  Govern- 
ment was  not  prepared  to  agree  to  our  conditions  for  a 
truce.  As  it  has  ceased,  the  Parisians  have  doubtless 
yielded.     But  Gambetta  ? 

Moltke  arrives  at  8.30   a.m.,   and  remains  ia  con- 


Jan  27,  i87i]     GENERAL  BEAUFORT lyHAUTPOULE  507 

ference  with  the  Chief  for  about  three-quarters  of  an 
hour.  The  Frenchmen  put  in  an  appearance  shortly 
before  11.  Favre  (who  has  had  his  grey  Radical  beard 
clipped)  with  thick  underlip,  yellow  complexion,  and 
light  grey  eyes  ;  General  Beaufort  d'Hautpoule,  with  his 
aide-de-camp,  Calvel ;  and  Durrbach,  a  "  Chief  of  the 
Engineers  of  the  Eastern  Railway."  Beaufort  is  under- 
stood to  have  led  the  attack  on  the  redoubt  at  Montre- 
tout  on  the  19th.  Their  negotiations  with  the  Chief 
appear  to  have  come  to  a  speedy  conclusion,  or  to  have 
been  broken  off.  Shortly  after  twelve  o'clock,  just  as 
we  sit  down  to  lunch,  they  drive  off  again  in  the 
carriages  that  brought  them  here.  Favre  looks  very 
depressed.  The  general  is  noticeably  red  in  the  face, 
and  does  not  seem  to  be  quite  steady  on  his  legs. 
Shortly  after  the  French  had  gone  the  Chancellor  came 
in  to  us  and  said  :  "I  only  want  a  breath  of  fresh  air. 
Please  do  not  disturb  yourselves."  Then,  turning  to 
Delbriick  and  shaking  his  head,  he  said  :  "  There  is 
nothing  to  be  done  with  him.  Mentally  incapable — 
drunk,  I  believe.  I  told  him  to  think  it  over  until  half 
past  one.  Perhaps  he  will  have  recovered  by  that  time. 
Muddle-headed  and  ill-mannered.  What  is  his  name  ? 
Something  like  Bouffre  or  Pauvre  ?  "  Keudell  said  : 
"Beaufort."  The  Chief :  "  A  distinguished  name,  but 
not  at  all  distinguished  manners."  It  appears,  then, 
that  the  general  has  actually  taken  more  than  he  was 
able  to  carry,  perhaps  in  consequence  of  his  natural 
capacity  having  been  weakened  by  hunger. 

At  lunch  it  was  mentioned  that  on  his  way  here, 
Forckenbeck  saw  the  village  of  Fontenay  still  in  flames. 
It  had  been  fired  by  our  troops  as  a  punishment  for  the 
destruction  of  the  railway  bridges  by  the  mutinous 
peasantry.      Delbriick     rejoiced    with     us     "  that     at 


5o8  HOW  TO  MANAGE   THE  MOB        [Jan.  27,  1871 

last  adequate  punishment  had  been  once  more 
inflicted." 

In  the  afternoon  we  heard  that  the  Chancellor  drove 
off  shortly  before  1  o'clock,  first  to  see  the  Emperor, 
and  then  to  Moltke's,  where  he  and  Podbielski  again 
met  the  Frenchmen.  The  latter  afterwards  left  for 
Paris,  about  4  o'clock,  and  will  return  to-morrow  at 
noon  for  the  purpose  of  completing  the  capitulation. 

At  dinner,  the  Chief,  speaking  of  Beaufort,  said  he  had 
behaved  like  a  man  without  any  breeding.  "  He 
blustered  and  shouted  and  swore  like  a  trooper,  and 
with  his  '  moi,  general  de  I'armee  francaise,'  he  was 
almost  unendurable.  Favre,  who  is  not  very  Avell  bred 
either,  said  to  me  :  '  J'en  suis  humili^  ! '  Besides,  he 
was  not  so  very  drunk  ;  it  was,  rather,  his  vulgar 
manners.  At  the  General  Stafl"  they  were  of  opinion 
that  a  man  of  that  sort  had  been  chosen  in  order  that 
no  arrangement  should  be  come  to.  I  said  that,  on  the 
contrary,  they  had  selected  him  because  it  did  not 
matter  for  such  a  person  to  lose  credit  with  the  public 
by  signing  the  capitulation." 

The  Chief  then  continued  :  "  I  said  to  Favre  during 
our  last  interview  :  '  Vous  avez  ^t^  trahi — par  la 
fortune.'  He  saw  the  point  clearly,  but  only  said : 
'  A  qui  le  dites-vous  !  Dans  trois  fois  vingt  quatre 
heures  je  serai  aussi  compt^  au  nombre  des  traitres.' 
He  added  that  his  position  in  Paris  was  very  critical. 
I  proposed  to  him  :  '  Provoquez  done  une  emeute  pendant 
que  vous  avez  encore  une  armde  pour  I'etouffer."  He 
looked  at  me  quite  terror-stricken,  as  if  he  wished  to 
say,  How  bloodthirsty  you  are.  I  explained  to  him, 
however,  that  that  was  the  only  right  way  to  manage 
the  mob."  "  Then,  again,  he  has  no  idea  of  how  things 
are  with  us.     He  mentioned  several  times  that  France 


Jan.  27,  1871]     PARIS  MUST  BE  MADE  TO  PAY  509 

was  the  land  of  liberty,  while  Germany  was  governed 
by  a  despotism.  I  told  him,  for  instance,  that  we 
wanted  money  and  that  Paris  must  supply  some.  He 
suggested  that  we  should  raise  a  loan.  I  replied  that 
that  could  not  be  done  without  the  approval  of  the 
Diet.  '  Ah,'  he  said,  '  you  can  surely  get  five  hundred 
million  francs  without  the  Chamber."  I  answered  :  '  No, 
not  five  francs.'  But  he  would  not  believe  it.  I  told 
him  that  I  had  been  at  loggerheads  with  the  popular 
representatives  for  four  whole  years,  but  that  the 
raising  of  a  loan  without  the  Diet  was  the  limit  to 
which  I  went,  and  which  it  never  occurred  to  me  to 
overstep.  That  seemed  to  disconcert  him  somewhat, 
but  he  only  said  that  in  France  '  on  ne  se  generait  pas.' 
And  yet  he  returned  afterwards  to  the  immense  freedom 
which  they  enjoy  in  France.  It  is  really  funny  to  hear 
a  Frenchman  talk  in  that  way,  and  particularly  Favre, 
who  has  always  been  a  member  of  the  Opposition.  But 
that's  their  way.  You  can  give  a  Frenchman  twenty- 
five  lashes,  and  if  you  only  make  a  fine  speech  to  him 
about  the  freedom  and  dignity  of  man  of  which  those 
lashes  are  the  expression,  and  at  the  same  time  strike  a 
fitting  attitude,  he  will  persuade  himself  that  he  is  not 
being  thrashed." 

"  Ah,  Keudell,"  said  the  Chief  suddenly,  "  it  just 
occurs  to  me.  I  must  have  my  full  powers  drawn  up 
for  to-morrow,  of  course  in  German.  The  German 
Emperor  must  only  write  German.  The  Minister  can 
be  guided  by  circumstances."  Official  communications 
must  be  written  in  the  language  of  the  country,  not  in  a 
foreign  tongue.  Bernstorff  was  the  first  to  try  to  intro- 
duce that  system  in  our  case,  but  he  went  too  far  with 
it.  He  wrote  to  all  the  diplomatists  in  German,  and 
they    replied,  of  course  by   agreement,    each    in    his 


5IO  A  RUSSIAN  NOTE  IN  RUSSIAN        [Jan.  27,  1871 

own  language,  Kussian,  Spanish,  Swedish  and  what  not, 
so  that  he  had  to  have  a  whole  army  of  translators  in 
the  office.  That  was  how  I  found  matters  when  I  came 
into  power.  Budberg  (the  Russian  Ambassador  in 
Berlin)  sent  me  a  note  in  Russian.  That  was  too  much 
for  me.  If  they  wanted  to  have  their  revenge  Gort- 
schakoff  should  have  written  in  Russian  to  our  Ambas- 
sador in  St.  Petersburg.  That  would  have  been  the 
right  way.  It  is  only  fair  to  ask  that  the  representatives 
of  foreign  countries  should  understand  and  speak  the 
language  of  the  State  to  which  they  are  accredited.  But 
it  was  unfair  to  send  me  in  Berlin  a  reply  in  Russian  to  a 
note  in  German.  I  decided  that  all  communications 
received  in  other  languages  than  German,  French, 
English  and  Italian  should  be  left  unnoticed  and  put 
away  in  the  archives.  Budberg  then  wrote  screed  after 
screed,  always  in  Russian.  No  answer  was  returned  and 
the  documents  were  all  laid  by  with  the  State  papers. 
At  last  he  came  himself  and  asked  why  he  had  received 
no  reply.  '  Reply  ! '  I  exclaimed.  '  To  what  ? '  Why, 
he  had  written  a  month  ago  and  had  afterwards  sent  me 
several  reminders.  '  Ah,  quite  so  ! '  I  said.  '  There  is  a 
great  pile  of  documents  in  Russian  down  stairs,  and  yours 
are  probably  amongst  them.  But  we  have  no  one  who 
understands  Russian,  and  I  have  given  instructions  for 
all  documents  written  in  a  language  we  do  not  under- 
stand to  be  put  away  in  the  archives.' "  It  was  then 
arranged  that  Budberg  should  write  in  French,  and  the 
Foreign  Office  also  when  it  suited  them. 

The  Chief  then  talked  about  the  French  negotiators 
and  said  :  "M.  DUrrbach  introduced  himself  as  '  membre 
de  I'administration  du  Chemin  de  fer  de  I'Est ;  j'y  suis 
beaucoup  interess(^. — If  he  only  knew  what  we  intend." 
(Probably  the  cession  of  the  Eastern  Railway.)  Hatzfeldt : 


Jan.  28,  1871]     CAPITULATION  AND  ARMISTICE  511 

"  He  threw  up  his  hands  in  dismay  when  the  General 
Staff  pointed  out  to  him  on  the  map  the  tunnels, 
bridges,  &c.,  destroyed  by  the  French  themselves.  '  I 
have  always  been  against  that '  he  said,  '  and  I  pointed 
out  to  them  that  a  bridge  could  be  repaired  in  three 
hours- — but  they  would  not  listen  to  me.'  "  The  Chief : 
"  Repaired  after  a  fashion,  certainly,  but  not  a  railway 
bridge  capable  of  carrying  a  train.  They  will  find  it 
hard  now  to  bring  up  provisions  to  Paris,  particularly  if 
they  have  committed  the  same  stupid  destruction  in  the 
west.  I  think  they  rely  upon  drawing  supplies  from 
Brittany  and  Normandy,  where  there  are  large  flocks  ol 
sheep,  and  from  the  ports.  To  my  knowledge  there  are 
plenty  of  bridges  and  tunnels  in  those  parts  too,  and  if 
they  have  destroyed  them  they  will  find  themselves  in 
great  straits.  I  hope,  moreover,  that  people  in  London 
will  only  send  them  hams  and  not  bread  ! " 

Saturday ,  January  2'^th. — At  11  o'clock  the  French 
negotiators  again  arrived — Favre,  Dtirrbach  and  two 
others,  who  are  understood  to  be  also  leading  railway 
officials ;  and  two  officers,  another  general,  and  an  aide- 
de-camp,  both  men  with  a  good  presence.  They  take 
lunch  with  us.  Then  follows  a  lengthy  negotiation  at 
Moltke's  lodgings.  The  Chief  afterwards  dictates  to  the 
Secretaries  Willisch  and  Saint  Blanquart  the  treaties  of 
capitulation  and  armistice,  which  are  drawn  up  in 
duplicate.  They  are  afterwards  signed  and  sealed  by 
Bismarck  and  Favre,  at  twenty  minutes  past  seven,  in 
the  green  room  next  to  the  Minister's  study  up  stairs. 

The  Frenchmen  dined  with  us.  The  general  (Valden 
is  his  name)  ate  little  and  hardly  spoke  at  all.  Favre 
was  also  dejected  and  taciturn.  The  aide-de-camp,  M. 
d'H^risson,  did  not  appear  to  be  so  much  affected,  and 
the  railway  officials,  after  their  long  privations,  devoted 


512  THE  PARIS  FORTS  OCCUPIED        [Jan.  29,  1871 

themselves  with  considerable  gusto  to  the  pleasures  of 
the  table.  According  to  what  I  can  gather  from  the 
latter  they  have,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  been  on  very  short 
commons  in  Paris  for  some  time  past,  and  the  death  rate 
last  week  amounted  to  about  five  thousand.  The 
mortality  was  especially  heavy  amongst  children  up  to 
two  years  of  age,  and  coffins  for  these  tiny  French 
citizens  were  to  be  seen  in  all  directions.  Delbriick 
declared  afterwards  that  "  Favre  and  the  General  looked 
like  two  condemned  prisoners  who  were  going  to  the 
gallows  next  morning.     I  pitied  them." 

Keudell  expects  that  peace  will  soon  be  concluded 
and  that  we  shall  be  back  in  Berlin  within  a  month. 
Shortly  before  10  o'clock  a  bearded  gentleman  apparently 
about  forty-five,  who  gave  his  name  as  Duparc,  called 
and  was  immediately  conducted  to  the  Chief,  with  whom 
he  spent  about  two  hours.  He  is  understood  to  be 
the  former  French  Minister  Duvernois,  coming  from 
Willielmshohe  wdth  proposals  for  peace.  The  capitu- 
lation and  armistice  do  not  yet  mean  the  end  of  the  war 
with  France. 

Sunday,  January  29th. — Our  troops  moved  forward 
to  occupy  the  forts.  In  the  morning  read  despatches 
respecting  the  London  Conference,  and  other  subjects, 
as  well  as  the  treaties  for  the  armistice  and  capitulation 
signed  yesterday.  BernstorfF  reported  that  Musurus 
became  very  violent  at  one  of  the  sittings  of  the  Con- 
ference. He  could  not  conceive  why  the  stipulation 
closing  the  Dardanelles  against  Eussian  men-of-war 
should  not  be  worded  in  an  indirect  and  therefore  less 
offensive  form  for  Russia,  and  at  the  same  time  quite 
as  acceptable  to  the  Porte.  From  another  of  Bern- 
storff's  despatches  the  Chief  appears  to  have  hinted  that 
Napoleon  should  not  miss  the  right  moment.      It   is 


Jan.  29, 1 871]     THE  GERMAN  PREFECT  OF  METZ  513 

also  stated  that  Palikao,  who  was  of  the  same  opinion, 
thought  it  would  be  dangerous  to  agree  in  the  capitu- 
lation to  leave  the  National  Guard  under  arms.  Vinoj- 
and  E-onciere,  being  in  favour  of  the  Emperor,  would 
doubtless  be  the  right  men  to  assume  command  of  the 
troops  in  the  city. 

Our  copy  of  the  capitulation  fills  ten  folio  pages, 
and  is  stitched  together  with  silk  in  the  French  colours, 
on  the  end  of  which  Favre  has  impressed  his  seal. 

We  were  joined  at  lunch  by  Count  Henckel,  who 
has  been  appointed  Prefect  at  Metz.  He  maintained 
that  in  about  five  years  the  elections  in  his  depart- 
ment would  be  favourable  to  the  Government ;  indeed,, 
he  was  confident  even  now  of  being  able  to  bring 
about  that  result.  In  Alsace,  however,  the  prospect 
was  not  so  good,  as  Germans  are  not  so  docile  to 
authority  as  the  French.  He  also  mentioned  that  his 
department  had  really  suftered  severely.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  the  war  it  had  some  thirty-two  to 
thirty -five  thousand  horses,  and  now  he  believed  there 
were  not  more  than  five  thousand  left. 

Before  dinner  I  read  further  drafts,  including  a 
memorandum,  in  which  the  Chief  explained  to  the 
King  that  it  was  impossible  to  demand  from  Favre, 
after  the  conclusion  of  the  capitulation,  the  surrender 
of  the  flags  of  the  French  regiments  in  Paris. 

We  were  joined  at  dinner  by  Count  Henckel  and  the 
French  aide-de-camp  who  was  here  yesterday.  The 
latter,  whose  full  name  is  d'Herisson  de  Saulnier,  wore 
a  black  hussar  uniform,  with  yellow  shoulder  straps 
and  embroidery  on  the  sleeves.  He  is  said  to  under- 
stand and  speak  German,  yet  the  conversation,  into 
which  the  Chief  entered  with  zest,  was  for  the  most 
part  carried  on  in  French.     In  the  absence  of  Favre 

VOL.  I  L    L 


514  STARVATION  COMMONS  IN  PARIS    [Jan.  29, 1871 

and  the  General  (the  former  was  still  in  the  house,  but 
as  he  was  very  busy  he  had  his  dinner  sent  up  to  him 
in  the  small  drawing-room)  the  aide-de-camp  was  more 
lively  and  amusing  than  yesterday.     He  bore  the  whole 
burden  of  the  conversation  for  a  considerable  time,  with 
a  series  of  droll  anecdotes.      The  scarcity  of  food  in  the 
city  had  become  of  late  very  painfully  perceptible,  but 
his  experience  would  appear  to  have  been   more  with 
the  amusing,  than  with  the  serious,  side  of  the  question. 
He  said  that  for  him   the  most  interesting  period  of 
their  fast  was  "  while  they  were  eating  up  the   Jardin 
des  Plantes."      Elephant  meat  cost  twenty  francs  per 
kilogramme  and  tasted  like  coarse  beef,  and  they  had 
really  had   "  filets    de    chameau "    and    "  cotelettes   de 
tigre."     A  dog  flesh  market  was  held  in  the  Kue  Saint 
Honord,  the    price    being    two    francs    fifty  per    kilo. 
There  were  hardly  any  more  dogs  to  be  seen  in   Paris, 
and  whenever  people  caught  sight  of  one,  they  immedi- 
ately hunted  it  down.     It  was  the  same  with  cats.     If 
a  pigeon  alighted  on  a  roof  a  view  holloa  was  at  once 
raised  in  the  street.      Only  the   carrier  pigeons  were 
spared.     The  despatches  were  fastened  in  the  middle  of 
their  tail  feathers,  of  which  they  ought  to  have  nine. 
If  one  of  them  happened  to  have  only  eight,  they  said  : 
"  ce  n'est  qu'un  civil "  and  it  had  to  go  the  way  of  all 
flesh.     A  lady  is  said   to  have  remarked  :  "  Jamais  je 
ne  mangerai  plus  de  pigeon,  car    je  croirais  toujours 
avoir  mange  un  facteur." 

In  return  for  these  and  other  stories  the  Chief  re- 
lated a  number  of  things  which  were  not  yet  known  in 
the  drawing-rooms  and  clubs  of  Paris,  and  which  people 
there  might  be  glad  to  hear,  as  for  instance  the  shabby 
behaviour  of  Rothschild  at  Ferrieres,  and  the  way  in 
which  the  Elector  of  Hesse    transformed  Rothschild's 


Jan.  29, 1 87 1 ]    J? USSIAN  AD  VICE  ABOUT  L UXEMB URG       5 1 5 

grandfather  Amschel  from  a  little  Jew  into  a  great  one. 
The  Chancellor  repeatedly  referred  to  the  latter  as  the 
"  Juif  de  cour,"  and  afterwards  gave  a  description  of 
the  domesticated  Jews  of  the  Polish  nobility. 

On  Bohlen  reporting  later  on  that  he  had,  in  accor- 
dance with  instructions,  sent  certain  papers  to  "  the 
Emperor,"  the  Chief  observed  :  "  The  Emperor  ?  I 
envy  those  to  whom  the  new  title  already  comes  so 
trippingly."  Abeken  returned  from  his  Majesty's  and 
announced  that  "  The  matter  of  the  flags  was  settled." 
The  Chief:  "Have  you  also  fired  off  my  revolver 
letter  ?  "  Abeken  :  "  Yes,  Excellency,  it  has  been  dis- 
charged," 

After  dinner  read  drafts  and  reports,  amongst  the 
latter  a  very  interesting  one  in  which  Russia  advises  us 
to  leave  Metz  and  German  Lorraine  to  the  French,  and 
to  annex  a  neighbouring  piece  of  territory  instead. 
According  to  a  recent  despatch  from  St.  Petersburg 
Gortschakoff  has  suggested  that  Germany  might  take 
Luxemburg  and  leave  the  French  a  corresponding 
portion  of  Lorraine.  The  geographical  position  of  the 
Grand  Duchy  indicated  that  it  should  form  part  of 
Germany,  and  Prince  Henry,  who  is  devotedly  attached 
to  his  separate  Court,  alone  stood  in  the  way.  King 
William  wrote  on  the  margin  of  the  despatch  that  this  sug- 
gestion was  to  be  absolutely  rejected.  The  Chief  then  re- 
plied as  follows:  The  future  position  of  Luxemburg  would, 
it  is  true,  be  an  unpleasant  one — not  for  us,  but  rather 
for  the  Grand  Duchy  itself.  AVe  must  not,  however, 
exercise  any  compulsion,  nor  take  the  property  of  others. 
AVe  must  therefore  adhere  to  the  programme  communi- 
cated five  months  ago  to  St.  Petersburg,  especially  as  we 
have  since  then  made  great  sacrifices.  The  realisation 
of  that  programme  is  indispensable  for  the  security  of 

L  L  2 


5i6  THE  REVICTUALLING  OF  PARIS     [Jan.  29,  187 1 

Germany.      We  must  have  Metz.     The  German  people 
would  not  tolerate  any  alteration  of  the  programme. 

Favre  did  not  leave  till  10.15  p.m.,  and  then  not  for 
Paris,  but  for  his  quarters  here  in  the  Boulevard  du  Roi. 
He  will  come  again  to-morrow  at  noon. 

The  Chief  afterwards  joined  us  at  tea.  In  speaking 
of  the  capitulation  and  the  armistice,  Bohlen  asked  : 
"  But  what  if  the  others  do  not  agree — Gambetta  and 
the  Prefects  in  the  south  ?  "  "  Well,  in  that  case  we  have 
the  forts  which  give  us  the  control  of  the  city,"  replied 
the  Chief.  "  The  King  also  could  not  understand  that, 
and  inquired  what  was  to  happen  if  the  people  at 
Bordeaux  did  not  ratify  the  arrangement.  '  Well,'  I 
replied,  '  then  we  remain  in  the  forts  and  keep  the 
Parisians  shut  up,  and  perhaps  in  that  case  we  may 
refuse  to  prolong  the  armistice  on  the  19th  of  February. 
In  the  meantime  they  have  delivered  up  their  arms,  and 
they  must  pay  the  contribution.  Those  who  have  given 
a  material  pledge  under  a  treaty  are  all  the  worse  off  if 
they  cannot  fulfil  its  conditions.' " 

Favre  had,  it  seems,  confessed  to  the  Chief  that  he 
had  proceeded  "  un  peu  temerairement "  in  the  matter  of 
the  revictualling  of  Paris.  He  really  did  not  know 
whether  he  would  be  able  to  provide  in  good  time  for 
the  hundreds  of  thousands  in  the  city.  Somebody 
observed  :  "In  case  of  necessity  Stosch  could  supply 
them  with  live  stock  and  flour."  The  Chief:  "Yes,  so 
long  as  he  can  do  so  without  injury  to  ourselves." 
Bismarck-Bohlen  was  of  opinion  that  we  need  not  give 
them  anything  ;  let  them  see  for  themselves  where  they 
could  get  supplies,  &c.  The  Chief:  "  Well,  then,  you 
would  let  them  starve  ?  "  Bohlen  :  "  Certainly."  The 
Chief :  "  But  then  how  are  we  to  get  our  contribution  ?  " 
Later    on  the  Minister   said  :    "  Business  of  State, 


Jan.  29, 1 87 1  ]  AN  O  UTRA  GEO  US  DEMAND  5 1 7 

negotiations  with  the  enemy,  do  not  irritate  me.  Their 
objections  to  my  ideas  and  demands,  even  when  they  are 
unreasonable,  leave  me  quite  cool.  But  the  petty 
grumbling  and  meddling  of  the  military  authorities  in 
political  questions,  and  their  ignorance  of  what  is  possible 
and  not  possible  in  such  matters  !  One  of  them  comes 
and  wants  this,  another  one  that,  and  when  you  have 
got  rid  of  the  first  two,  a  third  one  turns  up — an  aide- 
de-camp  or  aide-de-camp  general — who  says  :  '  But, 
your  Excellency,  surely  that  is  impossible,'  or  '  We  must 
have  this  too  in  addition,  else  we  shall  l)e  in  danger  of 
our  lives.'  And  yesterday  they  went  so  far  as  to  insist 
that  a  condition  {i.e.,  for  the  ^surrender  of  the  flags), 
which  was  not  mentioned  in  the  negotiations,  should  be 
introduced  into  a  document  that  was  already  signed.  I 
said  to  them,  however  :  '  We  have  committed  many  a 
crime  in  this  war — but  falsification  of  deeds  !  No, 
gentlemen,  really  that  cannot  be  done.' " 

Bernstorfi",  it  was  mentioned,  reports  that  he  had 
informed  the  Conference  that  from  this  time  forward  he 
represented  the  German  Empire  and  Emperor  ;  and  that 
the  other  members  received  this  announcement  with 
approval.  Thereupon  the  Chief  remarked  :  "  Bernstorfi" 
is  after  all  a  man  who  has  had  business  experience.  How 
can  he  do  such  things  ?  His  wife — what's  her  name  ? 
Augusta — no,  Anna — will  have  a  fine  opinion  of  herself 
now.  Imperial  Ambassadress  !  I  cannot  lay  much  store 
by  such  titles.  A  prosperous  and  powerful  King  is 
l^etter  than  a  weak  Emperor,  and  a  rich  Baron  better 
than  a  poor  Count."  "  Such  an  Emperor  as  that  of 
Brazil  or  Mexico  !  "  "  With  a  salary  of  800,000  florins," 
interjected  Holstein.  The  Chief:  "Well,  that  would 
be  enough  to  get  on  with.  They  require  no  firing 
and  no  winter  clothes." 


5 1 8  DIPLOMA  TIC  MESSENGERS  [Jan.  29, 1 87 1 

Hatzfelclt  mentioned  that  a  Spanish  secretary  of 
embassy  had  called.  He  had  come  from  Bordeaux  and 
wanted  to  enter  Paris  in  order  to  bring  away  his 
countrymen.  He  also  had  a  letter  from  Chaudordy  for 
Favre,  and  was  in  great  haste.  What  answer  should  be 
given  to  him  ?  The  Chief  stooped  down  a  little  over 
the  table,  then  sat  bolt  upright  again,  and  said : 
"  Attempting  to  carry  a  despatch  from  one  member  of 
the  enemy's  Government  to  another  through  our  lines — 
that  is  a  case  exactly  suited  for  a  court-martial.  When 
he  comes  back  you  will  treat  the  matter  in  a  very 
serious  way  :  receive  him  coolly,  looked  surprised,  and 
say  that  we  must  complain  to  the  new  King  of  Spain 
with  regard  to  such  a  breach  of  neutrality  and  demand 
satisfaction.  Besides,  I  am  astonished  that  Stiehle 
should  have  let  the  fellow  pass.  These  soldiers  always 
pay  too  much  deference  to  diplomats.  And  even  if  he 
had  been  an  ambassador,  Metternich  for  instance,  he 
should  have  been  turned  back  even  if  he  had  to  freeze 
and  starve  in  consequence.  Indeed,  such  carrier  service 
borders  closely  on  spying." 

The  rush  of  people  to  and  out  of  Paris  that  was  now 
to  be  apprehended  then  came  up  for  discussion.  The 
Chief:  "Well,  the  French  will  not  let  so  very  many  out, 
and  we  shall  only  let  those  pass  who  have  a  permit  from 
the  authorities  inside,  and  perhaps  not  all  of  those." 

Some  one  said  that  Rothschild,  who  had  been  supplied 
with  a  safe  conduct,  wanted  to  come  out ;  upon  which 
the  Chief:  "It  would  be  well  to  detain  him — as  a 
franctireur,  and  include  him  amongst  the  prisoners  of 
war.  (To  Keudell)  Just  inquire  into  the  matter.  I 
mean  it  seriously."  Bohlen  exclaimed  :  "  Then  Bleich- 
roder  will  come  rushing  over  here  and  prostrate  himself 
in  the  name  of  all  the  Rothschild  family."      The  Chief: 


Jan.  30,1871]    LORD  GRANVILLE'S  PEACE  PROPOSALS     519 

"  In  that  case  we  will  send  him  in  to  join  them  in  Paris, 
where  he  can  have  his  share  of  the  dog  hunting." 

Astonishment  was  then  expressed  that  the  Daily 
Telegra'ph  should  have  already  published  a  detailed 
epitome  of  the  convention  signed  yesterday,  and  in  this 
connection  Stieber,  Favre's  fellow  lodger,  was  mentioned. 
The  English  correspondent  had  acknowledged,  according 
to  Bucher,  that  he  had  received  the  news  from  Stieber, 
and  the  Minister  added  :  "  I  am  convinced  that  Stieber 
opened  Favre's  writing  desk  with  a  picklock,  and  then 
made  extracts  from  his  papers  which  he  gave  to  the 
Englishman."  This  is  scarcely  probable,  as  Stieber's 
knowledge  of  French  is  inadequate  for  that  purpose. 
He  much  more  probably  received  the  news  from  his 
patron  Bohlen,  or  perhaps  from  some  officer  who  heard 
it  from  the  General  Staff,  who — as  the  Chancellor  recently 
remarked — "are  very  obliging  and  communicative  in 
such  matters." 

Monday,  January  SOth. — Favre  and  other  French- 
men, including  the  Chief  or  Prefect  of  the  Paris  police, 
were  busily  engaged  with  the  Chief  during  the  after- 
noon, and  dined  with  him  at  5.30  p.m.  The  secretaries 
and  I  were  to  go  to  the  Hotel  des  Reservoirs,  as  there 
was  not  room  enough  at  table.  I  remained  at  home, 
however,  and  translated  Granville's  latest  peace  proposals 
for  the  Emperor. 

Abeken  came  up  to  me  after  dinner  to  get  the 
translation,  and  was  sorry  I  had  not  been  present  as  the 
conversation  was  specially  interesting.  The  Chief  had 
told  the  Frenchmen,  amongst  other  things,  that  to  be 
consistent  in  one's  policy  was  frequently  a  mistake,  and 
only  showed  obstinacy  and  narrow-mindedness.  One 
must  modify  his  course  of  action  in  accordance  with 
events,  with   the  situation    of   affairs,  with   the  possi- 


520  A  PROFOUND  REMARK  [Jan.  30, 187 1 

bilities  of  the  case,  taking  the  relations  of  things  into 
account  and  serving  his  country  as  the  opportunity 
offers  and  not  according  to  his  opinions,  which  are  often 
prejudices.  Wlien  he  first  entered  into  political  life,  as 
a  young  and  inexperienced  man,  he  had  very  different 
views  and  aims  to  those  which  he  had  at  present.  He 
had,  however,  altered  and  reconsidered  his  opinions,  and 
had  not  hesitated  to  sacrifice  his  wishes,  either  partially 
or  wholly  to  the  requirements  of  the  day,  in  order  to 
be  of  service.  One  must  not  impose  his  own  leanings 
and  desires  upon  his  country.  "  La  patrie  veut  etre 
servie  et  pas  dominie."  This  remark  greatly  impressed 
the  Parisian  gentlemen,  of  course  principally  because  of 
its  striking  form.  Favre  replied  :  "  C'est  bien  juste. 
Monsieur  le  Comte,  c'est  profond."  Another  of  the 
Frenchmen  also  declared  enthusiastically  :  "  Oui,  Mes- 
sieurs, c'est  un  mot  profond." 

Bucher,  when  I  went  down  to  tea,  confirmed  the 
above  particulars,  and  related  that  Favre  after  praising 
the  truth  and  profundity  of  the  Chief's  remark — which, 
of  course,  was  made  for  the  edification  of  the  Parisians, 
just  as  in  general  his  table  talk  is  intended  for  the 
benefit  of  his  guests — must  needs  add  the  following 
hetise  :  "  Neanmoins  c'est  un  beau  spectacle  de  voir  un 
homme,  qui  n'a  jamais  chang^  ses  principes."  The  rail- 
way director,  who  appeared  to  Bucher  to  be  more 
intelligent  than  Favre,  added,  in  reference  to  the 
"  servie  et  pas  dominee,"  that  that  amounted  to  men  of 
genius  subordinating  themselves  to  the  will  and  opinions 
of  the  majority,  and  that  majorities  were  always 
deficient  in  intelligence,  knowledge,  and  character.  The 
Chief  made  a  lofty  reply  to  this  objection,  stating  that 
with  him  (^.e.,  with  the  man  of  genius,  the  hero)  the 
consciousness  of  his  responsibility  before  God  was  one 


Jan.  30,1871]  UNPRACTICAL  FRENCHMEN  521 

of  his  guiding  stars.  He  opposed  to  the  droit  du  genie, 
to  which  his  interlocutor  had  given  such  a  high  place, 
the  sense  of  duty  (doubtless  meaning  what  Kant 
describes  as  the  categorical  imperative),  which  he  main- 
tained to  be  nobler  and  more  powerful. 

A  little  after  11  o'clock  the  Chancellor  joined  us 
at  tea.  "  I  am  really  curious,"  he  said,  "  to  see  what 
Gambetta  will  do.  It  looks  as  if  he  wanted  to  think 
over  the  matter  further,  as  he  has  not  yet  replied.  I 
think,  too,  he  will  ultimately  give  way.  Besides,  if  not 
it  will  be  all  right.  I  should  have  no  objection  to  a 
little  '  Main  line  '  across  France.  These  Frenchmen  are 
really  very  funny  people.  Favre  comes  to  me  with  a 
face  like  a  martyred  saint,  and  looks  as  if  he  had  some 
most  important  communication  to  make.  So  I  say  to 
him,  '  Shall  we  go  up  stairs  ? '  '  Yes,'  he  says,  '  let  us  do 
so."  But  when  we  are  there  he  sits  down  and  writes 
letter  after  letter,  and  I  wait  in  vain  for  any  important 
statement  or  piece  of  news  from  him.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  he  had  nothing  to  say.  What  he  has  done  for  us 
would  go  into  two  pages  of  note-paper."  "  And  this 
Prefect  of  Police  !  I  have  never  in  my  whole  life  met 
such  an  unpractical  man.  We  are  expected  to  advise 
and  help  them  in  everything.  In  the  course  of  half  an 
hour  he  fires  all  sorts  of  requests  into  me,  so  that  at 
last  I  nearly  lost  patience,  and  said  to  him,  '  But,  my 
good  sir,  would  it  not  be  better  to  let  me  have  all  this 
in  writing  ?  Otherwise  it  cannot  be  properly  attended 
to,  for  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  carry  it  all  in  my 
head.'  Thousands  of  things  pass  through  one's  mind, 
and  when  I  think  seriously  of  one  matter  I  lose  sight 
of  all  others." 

The  conversation  then  turned  on  the  difficulty  of 
supplying  the  Parisians  with  provisions.     Several  rail- 


522  WAR  CONTRIBUTIONS  [Jan.30, 1871 

ways  were  useless,  at  least  for  the  time  being ;  to  allow 
supplies  to  be  drawn  from  those  parts  of  France 
immediately  adjoining  the  districts  we  occupy  might 
result  in  scarcity  and  embarrassment  to  ourselves  ;  and 
the  port  of  Dieppe,  where  they  count  upon  receiving 
consignments  from  abroad,  could  only  hold  a  few 
vessels.  The  Chief  reckoned  out  how  many  rations 
would  be  required  daily,  and  how  much  could  be  trans- 
ported in  moderately  normal  circumstances.  He  found 
that  the  supply  would  be  a  very  scanty  one,  and  that 
possibly  large  numbers  might  still  have  to  starve.  He 
then  added  :  "  Favre  himself  said  to  me  that  they  had 
held  out  too  long.  That  was,  however,  as  he  confessed, 
merely  because  they  knew  we  had  provisions  stored  for 
them  at  Lagny.  They  had  exact  particulars  on  that 
point.  At  one  time  we  had  collected  for  them  there 
1,400  loaded  waggons. 

The  levying  of  taxes  and  contributions  was  then 
discussed,  and  the  Chief  explained  to  Maltzahn  the 
arrangements  he  wished  to  see  made.  Instead  of 
scattering  our  forces  they  should  in  general  be  massed 
in  the  chief  town  of  \h%  department  or  arrondissement, 
and  from  these  centres  flying  columns  should  be 
despatched  against  those  who  refused  to  pay  taxes,  as 
well  as  against  the  guerillas  and  their  aiders  and 
abettors. 

With  regard  to  the  ten  million  francs  contribution 
imposed  upon  the  district  of  Fontenay  for  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  railway  bridges,  Henckel  declared,  as  an 
expert,  that  that  was  an  impossible  demand — they  could 
not  squeeze  even  two  millions  out  of  the  people. 
"  Probably  not  one  million,"  remarked  the  Chief.  "  But 
that  is  our  way  of  doing  things.  All  sorts  of  terrible 
threats  are  constantly  uttered,  and  then  afterwards  they 


Jan.  30, 187 1]    HOW  THE  IMPERIAL  IDEA  ORIGIN  A  TED     523 

cannot  be  carried  out.     The  people  end  by  seeing  through 
that  sort  of  thing,  and  get  accustomed  to  the  threats." 

Then  followed  a  highly  interesting  and  detailed 
review  of  the  various  phases  in  the  development  of  the 
scheme  for  the  accession  of  the  South  German  states  to 
the  Northern  Confederation.  "  While  we  were  still  in 
Mainz,"  related  the  Chancellor,  "  the  King  of  Bavaria 
wrote  a  letter  to  our  most  gracious  master  in  which  he 
expressed  a  hope  that  he  would  not  be  mediatised.  As 
a  matter  of  course,  his  mind  was  set  at  ease  on  that 
point.  But  the  King  did  not  want  the  answer  to  be 
quite  so  categorical.  That  w^as  the  first  conflict  between 
the  King  and  myself  during  the  war.  I  told  him  that 
King  Lewis  would  probably  in  that  case  withdraw  his 
troops,  and  that  he  would  be  within  his  right  in  doing 
so.  I  remember  it  was  in  the  corner  room.  It  was  a 
hard  struggle,  and  finally  he  left  me  still  in  doubt  as  to 
what  he  was  going  to  do.  After  the  first  great  victories 
and  before  Sedan,  there  was  another  idea,  namely,  that 
of  a  military  revolution  and  a  military  Emperor  of 
Germany,  who  should  be  proclaimed  by  the  troops, 
including  the  Bavarians.  That  idea  was  not  to  my 
liking.  Subsequently,  when  Bray  came  here,  they  had 
thought  out  a  plan  of  their  own  in  Munich.  They  felt 
themselves  to  be  safe,  and  wished  for  something  more. 
Bray  brought  with  him  the  plan  of  the  alternating 
imperial  dignity.  As  Bray  said  to  me,  an  agreement 
could  be  come  to  between  the  North  German  Confedera- 
tion and  Bavaria  or  between  Germany  and  Bavaria.  In 
the  meantime  we  might  very  well  conclude  treaties  with 
Baden  and  Wtirtemberg,  and  afterwards  come  to  an 
understanding  with  Bavaria.  I  was  quite  satisfied  with 
that.  But  when  I  told  it  to  Delbriick,  he  looked  as  if 
he  were  going  to  faint.     I  said  to  him,  '  For  Heaven's 


524     "  AND  THE  GERMAN  EMPIRE  IS  MADE  !  "    [Jan.  30, 1 87 1 

sake,  why  not  accept  it  ?  It  is  exactly  what  we  want.' 
And  so  it  was  too.  For  when  I  informed  Suckow  and 
Mittnacht,  they  were  beside  themselves  with  rage,  and 
immediately  came  to  terms  with  me.  Later  on,  how- 
ever, the  King  (of  AVlirtemberg)  was  induced  to  strike 
out  again  in  a  new  line.  It  was  through  Frau  von 
Gasser,  who  had  great  influence  at  the  Court  in  Stutt- 
gart. He  wanted  to  act  once  more  with  Bavaria.  The 
Ministers,  however,  remained  firm,  and  assured  me  they 
would  rather  resign,  and  thus  it  came  about  that  the 
Treaty  with  Wiirtemberg  was  not  concluded  until  after- 
wards in  Berlin.  Finally,  after  all  sorts  of  difiiculties 
on  both  sides,  the  arrangement  with  Bavaria  was  also 
settled.  Now  there  was  only  one  thing  wanting — but 
that  was  the  most  important  of  all !  I  saw  a  way,  and 
wrote  a  letter — and  after  that  the  credit  belongs  to  a 
Bavarian  Court  official.  He  achieved  an  almost  im- 
possible feat.  In  six  days  he  made  the  journey  there 
and  back,  eighteen  German  miles,  without  a  railway,  to 
the  palace  in  the  mountains  where  the  King  was  staying 
— and  in  addition  to  that  his  wife  was  ill  at  the  time. 
It  was  really  a  great  deal  for  him  to  do.  He  arrives  at 
the  palace,  finds  the  King  unwell — suffering  from  a 
tumor  in  the  gum,  or  from  the  after  effects  of  an  opera- 
tion under  chloroform.  He  is  not  to  be  seen.  Well, 
but  he  had  a  letter  from  me  to  deliver — very  pressing. 
In  vain  ;  the  King  will  not  be  disturbed ;  he  will  do  no 
business  to-day.  At  last  his  Majesty's  curiosity  is 
aroused,  and  he  wants  to  know  what  I  have  to  com- 
municate to  him — and  the  letter  is  well  received.  But 
there  is  no  ink,  no  paper,  no  writing  materials.  They 
send  off"  a  groom,  who  ultimately  comes  back  wdth  some 
coarse  letter  paper  ;  the  King  writes  his  answer,  just  as 
he  is,  in  bed — and  the  German  Empire  is  made  !  " 


Jan.  31, 1871]      THE  KING  OF  SWEDEN'S  SPEECH  525 

Jacoby's  arrest  having  been  mentioned,  the  Chief 
observed  :  "  Otherwise,  Falkenstein  acted  quite  sensibly, 
but  thanks  to  that  measure  of  his  and  to  his  refusal  to 
release  Jacoby  when  I  requested  him  to  do  so,  we  were 
unable  to  convoke  the  Diet  for  a  whole  month.  As  far 
as  I  am  concerned,  he  might  have  had  Jacoby  carved 
up  for  himself  into  rhinoceros  cutlets,  but  he  ought  not 
to  have  locked  him  up !  All  he  had  to  show  for  his 
pains  was  the  possession  of  a  dried  up  old  Jew.  The 
King,  too,  would  not  at  first  listen  to  my  representa- 
tions. We  were  accordingly  obliged  to  wait,  as  the 
Diet  would  have  been  within  its  right  in  demanding  his 
liberation. 

Jacoby's  name  brought  up  that  of  another  congenial 
mind,  viz.,  Waldeck  (the  Radical  leader  in  the  Prussian 
Diet),  of  whom  the  Chief  gave  the  following  description  : 
"  Something  like  Favre,  always  consistent,  his  views 
and  decisions  cut  and  dried  in  advance,  and,  in  addition 
to  that,  a  stately  presence  and  a  venerable  white  beard, 
fine  speeches  delivered  with  the  earnestness  of  deep- 
toned  conviction,  even  on  trifling  matters,  that  is  so 
impressive !  He  makes  a  speech  in  a  voice  throbbing 
with  devotion  to  principle  in  order  to  prove  to  you  that 
this  spoon  is  in  the  glass,  and  he  proclaims  that  any  one 
who  refuses  to  accept  that  statement  is  a  scoundrel ! 
And  all  the  world  believes  him,  and  praises  him  for  his 
staunchness  in  every  key  from  treble  to  bass." 

Tuesday^  January  Z\st. — The  King  of  Sweden  has 
delivered  a  bellicose  speech  from  the  throne.  Why,  ye 
gods  ?  I  write  two  paragraphs  under  instructions  from 
the  Chief,  and  then  a  third,  which  calls  attention  to 
the  sufferings  during  the  bombardment  of  a  number  of 
inoff"ensive  German  families  who,  for  various  reasons, 
remained  behind  in  Paris  after  the  expulsion  of  their 


526  THE  LATIN  AND  GERMANIC  RACES    [Jan.  31, 1871 

fellow  countrymen,  and  commend  Washburne,  the 
United  States  Minister,  for  the  efforts  he  made  to 
alleviate  the  lot  of  these  unfortunate  people.  In  this 
respect  he  has  really  acted  in  a  manner  that  deserves 
our  warmest  thanks,  and  has  been  loyally  assisted  by 
his  subordinates. 

The  Parisian  gentlemen  are  again  here,  including 
Favre,  who  has  sent  a  telegram  to  Gambetta  urgently 
requesting  him  to  yield.  It  is  to  be  feared  he  will  not 
do  so.  At  least  the  Prefect  of  Marseilles  is  showing  his 
teeth  and  snarling  at  poor  Favre  with  the  patriotic 
declaration  :  "  Je  n'ob^is  plus  le  capitule  de  Bismarck. 
Je  ne  le  connais  plus."  Proud  and  staunch — but  danger 
is  best  at  a  distance. 

At  tea  I  hear  from  Bucher  that  the  Chief  has  been 
speaking  very  strongly  about  Garibaldi,  that  old 
dreamer,  whom  Favre  declares  to  be  a  hero. 

Subsequently  Duparc  had  an  interview  with  the 
Minister.  Shortly  after  ten  the  Chief  joined  us  at 
tea.  He  first  spoke  of  the  unpractical  character  of  the 
Frenchmen  who  have  been  working  with  him  during 
the  past  few  days.  Two  Ministers,  Favre  and  Magnin, 
the  Minister  of  Finance  who  has  accompanied  him  this 
time,  spent  half  an  hour  to-day  worrying  over  one 
telegram.  This  led  him  to  speak  of  the  French  in 
general  and  of  the  entire  Latin  race,  and  to  compare 
them  with  the  Germanic  peoples.  "  The  Germans,  the 
Germanic  race,"  he  said,  "  is,  so  to  speak,  the  male 
principle  throughout  Europe — the  fructifying  principle. 
The  Celtic  and  Slav  peoples  represent  the  female  sex. 
That  principle  extends  as  far  as  the  North  Sea  and 
then  across  to  England."  I  ventured  to  add  :  "  And 
also  as  far  as  America  and  the  Western  States  of  the 
Union,  where  some  of  our  people  form  the  best  part  of 


Jan.  31,1871]        '' INTELLIGENT  ABSOLUTISM''  527 

the  population  and  influence  the  manners  of  the  rest." 
"Yes,"  he  replied,  "those  are  their  children,  the  fruit 
they  bear."  "  But  that  was  to  be  seen  in  France  while 
the  Franks  had  still  the  upper  hand.  The  Revolution 
of  1789  was  the  overthrow  of  the  Germanic  element  by 
the  Celtic.  And  what  have  we  seen  since  then  ?  And 
this  held  good  in  Spain  so  long  as  the  Gothic  blood 
predominated.  And  also  in  Italy,  where  in  the  North 
the  Germans  also  played  a  leading  part.  When  that 
element  had  exhausted  itself,  there  was  nothing  decent 
left.  It  was  much  the  same  thing  in  Russia,  where  the 
Germanic  Warager,  the  Ruriks,  first  bound  them 
together.  As  soon  as  the  natives  there  prevail  over 
the  German  immigrants  and  the  Germans  of  the  Baltic 
Provinces,  they  fall  asunder  into  mere  communes." 
"It  is  true  that  the  unmixed  Germans  are  not  of  much 
account  either.  In  the  south  and  west  where  they 
were  left  to  themselves,  there  were  only  Knights  of 
the  Empire,  Imperial  Towns,  and  Immediate  Villages 
of  the  Empire,  each  for  itself,  and  all  tumbling  to 
pieces.  The  Germans  are  all  right  when  they  are 
forced  to  unite — excellent,  irresistible,  invincible — 
otherwise  each  one  will  act  according  to  his  own  ideas." 
"  Really,  after  all,  an  intelligent  absolutism  is  the  best 
form  of  government.  Without  a  certain  amount  of  it 
everything  falls  asunder.  One  wishes  this  thing  and 
another  that,  there  is  eternal  vacillation,  eternal  delays." 
"  But  we  have  no  longer  any  genuine  absolutists — 
that  is  to  say,  no  kings.  They  have  disappeared. 
The  variety  has  died  out."  "  A  Republic  is  perhaps 
after  all  the  right  form  of  government,  and  it  will 
doubtless  come  in  the  future ;  but  I  dislike  our 
Republicans.  Formerly  things  were  different,  when 
princes  still  appeared   in    brocaded  coats  and  covered 


528  THE  DECADENCE  OF  PRINCES      [Jan.  31, 187 1 


with  stars.  They  are  declining  everywhere,  and  that 
decline  will  be  much  greater  in  future.  One  sees  that 
in  the  younger  generation.  It  is  the  case  with  us  also. 
No  more  rocher  de  hronce.  They  no  longer  want  to 
govern,  and  are  glad  when  some  one  relieves  them  of 
the  trouble.  All  they  care  for  is  to  be  praised  in  the 
newspapers,  and  to  get  as  much  money  as  possible  for 
their  personal  requirements.  The  only  one  who  still 
conducts  his  business  properly  is  the  old  King  of 
Saxony."  "  And  w^hen  they  sit  at  the  table  d'hote  in 
the  Hotel  des  Reservoirs,  here  near  the  Palace  of 
Louis  XIV.,  and  every  one  sees  that  they  are  ordinary 
human  beings — and  how  ordinary  ! — why,  the  halo  is 
quite  lost.  And  then  one  fine  morning  three  Grand 
Dukes  pay  their  respects  to  me,  and  find  me  in  my 
dressing  gown  ! " 

I  ventured  to  relate  that  as  a  little  child  I  pictured 
to  myself  the  King  of  Saxony,  who  was  the  only 
monarch  I  knew  of  at  that  time,  as  resembling  the  king 
in  the  pack  of  cards — clad  in  ermine,  and  wearing  a 
crown  with  orb  and  sceptre,  stiff,  gorgeous,  and  imper- 
turbable :  and  that  it  was  a  fearful  disappointment  for 
me  when  my  nurse  once  pointed  out  to  me  a  gentleman 
in  the  passage  between  the  palace  and  the  Catholic 
church  in  Dresden,  and  told  me  that  that  little,  crooked, 
frail,  old  man,  whose  uniform  became  him  so  badly,  was 
King  Anton.  The  Chief  said  : — "  Our  peasants  also 
had  very  curious  conceptions,  and  the  following 
story  was  current  amongst  them.  It  was  to  the 
effect  that  on  one  occasion,  when  a  number  of  us 
young  people  were  gathered  together  in  some  public 
place,  we  said  something  against  the  King,  who 
happened  to  be  close  to  us,  but  was  unknown  to  us.  He 
suddenly  stood  up,  opened  his  mantle  and  showed  the 


Jan.  31, 1871]  AN  APOCRYPHAL  STORY  529 

star  on  his  breast.  The  others  were  terrified,  but  it  did 
not  affect  me,  and  I  pitched  him  down  the  stairs.  I 
received  ten  years  imprisonment  for  it  and  was  not 
allowed  to  shave  myself.  As  I  wore  a  beard  at  that 
time,  a  habit  which  I  had  acquired  in  France  (1842) 
where  it  was  then  the  fashion,  it  was  said  that  the 
executioner  came  once  every  year  on  St.  Sylvester's 
night  to  shave  it  off.  Those  who  told  this  story  were 
rich  peasants  and  otherwise  not  at  all  stupid,  and  they 
repeated  it,  not  because  they  had  anything  against  me 
but  quite  in  a  friendly  way,  and  full  of  sympathy  for  a 
young  man's  rashness.  The  pitching  down  stairs  was 
rather  a  coarse  invention,  but  I  was  pleased  all  the  same 
that  it  was  only  to  me  they  gave  credit  for  not  being 
intimidated  by  the  star." 

I  thereupon  asked  the  Chief  if  there  was  any  truth 
in  the  story  of  the  beer  glass  he  was  said  to  have  broken 
on  some  one's  head  in  a  Berlin  restaurant  because  he 
had  insulted  the  Queen  or  refused  to  drink  her  health. 
"  It  was  quite  different,"  he  replied,  "  and  had  no  political 
significance  whatever.  As  I  was  going  home  late  one 
evening — it  must  have  been  in  the  year  1847 — I  met 
some  one  who  tried  to  pick  a  quarrel  with  me.  As  I 
pulled  him  up  on  account  of  his  language,  I  discovered 
that  he  was  an  old  acquaintance.  We  had  not  seen 
each  other  for  a  long  time,  and  on  his  proposing  to  me, 

'  Come,  let's  go  to '  (he  mentioned  a  name),  I  went 

with  him,  although  I  really  had  had  enough  already. 
But  after  getting  our  beer  he  fell  asleep.  Now  there 
were  a  lot  of  people  sitting  near  us,  one  of  whom  had 
also  taken  more  than  he  could  carry,  and  who  was 
attracting  attention  by  his  noisy  behaviour.  I  quietly 
drank  my  beer,  and  this  man  got  angry  at  my  being  so 
quiet  and  began  to  taunt  me.     I  took  no  notice,  and 

VOL.    I  MM 


530       THE  TRUTH  ABOUT  THE  BEER  GLASS     [Jan.  31, 187 1 

that  made  him  only  the  more  angry  and  his  language 
grew  more  and  more  violent.     I  did  not  want  to  have 
any  quarrel,  nor  did  I  like  to  go  away,  as  people  would 
have  thought  I  was  afraid.     At  last,  however,  he  came 
over  to  my  table  and  threatened  to  throw  the  beer  in 
my  face.     That  was  too  much  for  me.     I  stood  up  and 
told   him   to    go   away,  and    as   he   made    a    motion 
to  throw  the  beer  at  me,  I  gave  him  a  blow  under  the 
chin,  so  that  he  fell  backwards,  breaking  the  chair  and 
the  glass,  and  rolled  across  the  room  right  on  to  the 
wall.     The  landlady  then  came  and  I  told  her  she  need 
not  worry,  as  I  would  pay  for  the  chair  and  the  beer 
glass.    1  said  to  the  others  :  '  You  are  witnesses,  gentle- 
men, that  I  did  not  seek  a  quarrel,  and  that  I  endured 
it  as  long  as  possible.       But  I  cannot  be  expected  to 
allow  a  glass  of  beer  to  be  poured  on  my  head  simply 
because  I  was  quietly  drinking  my  glass.     If  the  gentle- 
man   has    lost    a    tooth    in    consequence    I    shall    be 
sorry.     But  I  was  obliged  to  defend  myself.     Besides, 
if  anybody  wishes  to    know  more,   here  is  my    card.' 
It    turned    out    that    they  were    quite  sensible  people 
and  took  my  view  of  the  case.     They   were   annoyed 
with  their  comrade  and  acknowledged  that  I  was  in 
the    right.       I    afterwards   met   two    of    them   at   the 
Brandenburg  Gate.     I  said  :  '  I  think,  gentlemen  ;  you 
were  present  when  I  had  that  affair  in  the  beer  house  in 
the  Jagerstrasse.    What  has  happened  to  my  adversary  ? 
I  should  be  sorry  if  he  had  been  hurt.'     I  must  explain 
to  you  that  he  had  to  be  carried  away  on  that  occasion. 
'  Oh,'  they  replied  ;  '  he  is  all  right,  and  his  teeth  are 
quite    sound    again.     He    is    altogether   subdued,    and 
extremely  sorry  for  what  he  did.     He  had  just  entered 
the  army  to  serve  his  year,  as  he  is  a  doctor,  and  it 
would  have  Ijeen  very  unpleasant  for  him  if  people  had 


Feb.  1, 1871]  BISMARCK'S  DUELS  531 


heard  of  the  affair,  and  especially  if  it  had  come  to  the 
knowledge  of  his  superiors.'  " 

The  Chief  then  related  that  when  he  was  attending 
the  University  at  Gottingen  he  fought  twenty-eight 
students'  duels  in  three  terms,  and  was  always  lucky 
enough  to  escape  with  a  whole  skin.  Once  his  op- 
ponent's blade  flew  off,  probably  because  it  was  badly 
screwed  in,  and  caught  him  in  the  face,  where  it  re- 
mained sticking.  Otherwise  he  had  never  received  a 
scar.  "  I  had  one  very  narrow  escape,  though,  at 
Greifswald.  There  they  had  introduced  an  extraordinary 
head-dress,  a  white  felt,  sugar-loaf  hat,  and  I  took  it  into 
my  head  that  I  must  snip  off  the  top  of  the  sugar-loaf, 
and  thus  I  exposed  myself  so  that  his  blade  whizzed  by 
close  to  my  face.     I  bent  back,  however,  in  good  time." 

Wednesday,  February  \st. — It  was  stated  at  lunch 
that  Grambetta  had  approved  of  the  armistice,  but  ex- 
pressed surprise  that  we  still  continued  to  attack  the 
French  in  the  south-east.  Favre,  with  his  unbusiness- 
like habits,  had  omitted  to  telegraph  to  him  that 
operations  were  not  suspended  there.  This,  by  the 
way,  was  at  his  own  request. 

There  were  no  guests  at  lunch.  The  Minister, 
speaking  about  Favre,  said :  "I  believe  he  came  here 
to-day  merely  in  consequence  of  our  conversation  of 
yesterday,  when  I  would  not  acknowledge  that  Gari- 
baldi was  a  hero.  He  was  evidently  anxious  about  him, 
because  I  would  not  include  him  in  the  armistice.  He 
pointed  to  the  first  article  like  a  thorough  lawyer.  I 
said:  'Yes,  that  was  the  rule,  but  the  exceptions  fol- 
lowed, and  Garibaldi  comes  under  them.'  I  quite 
understood  that  a  Frenchman  should  bear  arms  against 
us — he  defended  his  country,  and  had  a  right  to  do  so  ; 
but  I  could  not  recognise    the  right    of   this    foreign 

M  M  2 


532  A  BET  WITH  AN  AMERICAN         [Feb.  i,  1871 

adventurer  with  his  cosmopolitan  Eepublic  and  his 
band  of  revolutionaries  from  every  corner  of  the  earth. 
He  asked  me  then  what  we  should  do  with  Garibaldi  in 
case  we  took  him  prisoner.  '  Oh,'  I  said,  '  we  will  exhibit 
him  for  money,  and  hang  a  placard  round  his  neck 
bearing  the  word  '  Ingratitude.'  " 

The  Chief  then  asked ;  "  But  where  is  Scheidt- 
mann  ? "  Somebody  told  him.  "  He  will  have,  I  think, 
to  give  me  legal  advice  in  the  matter"  (viz.,  the  war 
contribution  of  two  hundred  millions  to  be  paid  by 
Paris).  "Is  he  not  a  lawyer  ? "  Bucher  said  no,  he 
had  not  studied  at  all,  was  originally  a  tradesman,  &c. 
The  Chief :  "  Well,  then,  Bleichroder  must  first  go  into 
action.  He  must  go  into  Paris  immediately,  smell  and 
be  smelt  at  by  his  brethren  in  the  faith,  and  discuss  with 
the  bankers  how  it  is  to  be  done.  Surely  he  is 
coming?"  Keudell  :  "Yes,  in  a  few  days."  The 
Chief:  "Please  telegraph  him  at  once,  that  we  want 
him  immediately — then  it  will  be  Scheidtmann's  turn. 
I  suppose  he  can  speak  French  ?  "  No  one  could  say. 
"  I  am  disposed  to  select  Henckel  as  the  third  string. 
He  is  well  acquainted  with  Paris,  and  knows  the 
financiers.  A  member  of  the  haute  finance  once  said 
to  me :  '  On  the  Stock  Exchange  we  always  lay  our 
money  on  lucky  players,'  and  if  we  are  to  follow  that 
rule  Count  Henckel  is  our  man." 

A  jpropos  of  German  unity,  the  Minister  told  us 
that  thirty  years  ago,  at  Gottingen,  he  had  made  a  bet 
with  an  American  as  to  whether  Germany  would  be 
united  within  twenty-five  years.  "  The  winner  was  to 
provide  twenty-five  bottles  of  champagne,  and  the  loser 
was  to  cross  the  ocean  to  drink  them.  The  American 
wagered  against  union,  and  I  in  favour.  The  interesting 
point  is  that,  as  far  back  as  1833,  I  must  have  bad  the 


Feb.  I,  1871]      HOW  GARIBALDI  IS  TO  BE  TREATED         53J 


idea  which  has  now,  with  God's  help,  been  realised, 
although  at  that  time  I  was  opposed  to  all  those  who 
professed  to  desire  such  a  change." 

Finally,  the  Chief  declared  his  belief  in  the  influence 
of  the  moon  on  the  growth  of  the  hair  and  of  plants. 
This  subject  came  up  through  his  jocularly  congratulating 
Abeken  on  the  style  in  which  his  locks  had  been 
trimmed.  "  You  look  twice  as  young,  Herr  Geheimrath," 
he  said.  "  If  I  were  only  your  wife  !  You  have  had  it 
cut  exactly  at  the  right  time,  under  a  crescent  moon.  It 
is  just  the  same  as  with  trees.  When  they  are  intended 
to  shoot  again  they  are  felled  when  the  moon  is  in  the 
first  quarter,  but  when  they  are  to  be  rooted  up  then  it 
is  done  in  the  last  quarter,  as  in  that  case  the  stump 
decays  sooner.  There  are  people  who  will  not  believe  it, 
learned  men,  but  the  State  itself  acts  on  this  belief, 
although  it  will  not  openly  confess  to  it.  No  woodman 
will  think  of  felling  a  birch  tree  which  is  intended  to 
throw  out  shoots  when  the  moon  is  waning." 

After  dinner  I  read  a  number  of  documents  relating 
to  the  armistice  and  the  revictualling  of  Paris,  including 
several  letters  in  Favre's  own  hand,  which  is  neat  and 
legible.  One  of  the  letters  states  that  Paris  has  only 
flour  enough  to  last  up  to  the  4th  of  February,  and 
after  that  nothing  but  horse-flesh.  Moltke  is  requested 
by  the  Chief  not  to  treat  Garibaldi  on  the  same  footing 
as  the  French,  and  in  any  case  to  demand  that  he  and 
his  followers  shall  lay  down  their  arms — the  Minister 
desires  this  to  be  done  on  political  grounds.  Instructions 
have  been  sent  to  Alsace  that  the  elections  for  the 
Assembly  at  Bordeaux,  which  is  to  decide  as  to  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  war,  or  peace,  and  eventually  as  to  the 
conditions  on  which  the  latter  is  to  be  concluded,  are 
not  to  be  hindered,  but  rather  ignored.     The  elections 


534  A  SOVEREIGN  READY  FOR  FRANCE      [Feb.  2, 1871 

are  to  be  conducted  by  the  Maires  and  not  by  the  Prefects 
in  the  districts  we  occupy. 

Thursday,  February  2nd. — "  We  were  joined  at 
dinner  by  Odo  Russell,  and  a  tall  stout  young  gentleman 
in  a  dark-blue  uniform,  who,  I  was  told,  was  Count  Bray, 
a  son  of  the  Minister,  and  formerly  attached  to  the 
Bavarian  Embassy  in  Berlin.  The  Chief  said  to  Russell : 
"  The  English  newspapers  and  also  some  German  ones 
have  censured  my  letter  to  Favre  and  consider  it  too 
sharply  worded.  He  himself,  however,  does  not  appear 
to  be  of  that  opinion.  He  said  of  his  own  accord  :  '  You 
were  right  in  reminding  mo  of  my  duty.  I  ought  not  to 
leave  before  this  is  finished.'  The  Minister  praised  this 
self-abnegation.  He  then  repeated  that  our  Parisians 
were  unpractical  people  and  that  we  had  constantly  to 
counsel  and  assist  them.  He  added  that  they  now 
wished  apparently  to  ask  for  alterations  in  the  Conven- 
tion of  the  28th  of  January.  Outside  Paris  little  disposi- 
tion was  shown  to  help  in  reprovisioning  the  city.  The 
directors  of  the  Rouen-Dieppe  railway,  for  instance, 
upon  whom  they  had  relied  for  assistance,  declared  there 
was  not  enough  rolling  stock,  as  the  locomotives  had 
been  taken  to  pieces  and  sent  to  England.  Gambetta's 
attitude  was  still  doubtful,  and  he  seemed  to  contemplate 
a  continuation  of  the  war.  It  was  necessary  that  France 
should  soon  have  a  proper  Government."  "  If  one  is  not 
speedily  established  I  shall  give  them  a  sovereign. 
Everything  is  already  prepared.  Amadeus  arrived  in 
Madrid  with  a  travelling  bag  in  his  hand  as  King  of 
Spain,  and  he  seems  to  get  on  all  right.  My  sovereign 
will  come  immediately  with  a  retinue,  Ministers,  cooks, 
chamberlains,  and  an  army." 

With  regard  to  Napoleon's   fortune,  very  different 
opinions  were  expressed.    Some  said  it  was  large,  others 


Feb.  2, 1871]  HEROIC  A  TTITUDES  535 


that  it  was  inconsiderable.  Russell  doubted  if  lie  had 
much.  He  thought  the  Empress  at  least  could  not  have 
much,  as  she  had  only  deposited  £6,000  in  the  Bank  of 
England.  The  Chancellor  then  related  that  on  the  way 
to  Saint  Cloud  to-day  he  met  many  people  removing  their 
furniture  and  bedding.  Probably  they  were  inhabitants 
of  neighbouring  villages,  who  had  nevertheless  been 
unable  to  leave  Paris.  "  The  women  looked  quite 
friendly,"  he  said,  "  but  on  catching  sight  of  the  uniforms 
the  men  began  to  scowl  and  struck  heroic  attitudes. 
That  reminds  me  that  in  the  old  Neapolitan  army  they 
had  a  word  of  command,  when  we  say,  '  Prepare  to 
charge,  right ! '  the  command  was  'Faccia  feroce!'  (Look 
ferocious!).  A  fine  presence,  a  pompous  style  of  speech, 
and  a  theatrical  attitude  are  everything  with  the  French. 
So  long  as  it  sounds  right  and  looks  well  the  substance 
is  a  matter  of  indifference.  It  reminds  me  of  a  citizen 
of  Potsdam  who  once  told  me  he  had  been  deeply  im- 
pressed by  a  speech  of  Radowitz's.  I  asked  him  to  show 
me  uhe  passage  that  had  particularly  stirred  his  feelings. 
He  could  not  mention  one.  I  then  took  the  speech  itself 
and  read  it  throuo-h  to  him  in  order  to  discover  its 
beauties,  but  it  turned  out  that  there  was  nothing  in  it 
either  \  ithetic  or  sublime.  As  a  matter  of  fact  it  was 
merely  the  air  and  attitude  of  Radowitz,  who  looked  as 
if  he  were  speaking  of  something  most  profound  and 
significant  and  thrillingly  impressive, — the  thoughtful 
mien,  the  contemplative  eye,  and  the  sonorous  and 
weighty  voice.  It  was  much  the  same  with  Waldeck, 
although  he  was  not  nearly  such  a  clever  man  nor  so 
distinguished  looking.  In  his  case  it  was  more  the 
white  beard  and  the  staunch  convictions.  The  gift  of 
eloquence  has  greatly  spoilt  Parliamentary  life.  A  great 
deal  of  time  is  consumed  as  every  one  who  thinks  he  has 


536  THE  FEDERAL  COUNCIL  [Feb.  3,1871 

anything  in  him  wants  to  speak,  even  when  he  has 
nothing  new  to  say.  There  are  far  too  many  speeches 
that  simply  float  in  the  air  and  pass  out  through  the 
windows,  and  too  few  that  go  straight  to  the  point. 
The  parties  have  already  settled  everything  beforehand, 
and  the  set  speeches  are  merely  intended  for  the  public, 
to  show  what  members  can  do,  and  more  especially  for 
the  newspapers  that  are  expected  to  praise  them.  It 
will  come  to  this  in  the  end,  that  eloquence  will  be 
regarded  as  dangerous  to  the  public  welfare,  and  that 
people  will  be  punished  for  making  long  speeches.  We 
have  one  body,"  he  continued,  "  that  is  not  in  the  least 
eloquent,  and  has  nevertheless  done  more  for  the  German 
cause  than  any  other,  that  is  the  Federal  Council.  I  re- 
member, indeed,  that  at  first  some  attempts  were  made  in 
that  direction.  I  cut  them  short,  however,  though  as  a 
matter  of  fact  I  had  no  right  to  do  so,  albeit  I  was 
President.  I  addressed  them  much  as  follows  :  '  Gentle- 
men, eloquence  and  speeches  intended  to  affect  people's 
convictions  are  of  no  use  here,  as  every  one  brings  his 
his  own  convictions  with  him  in  his  pocket — that  is  to 
say,  his  instructions.  It  is  merely  waste  of  time.  I  think 
we  had  better  restrict  ourselves  to  statements  of  fact.' 
And  so  we  did.  No  one  made  a  big  speech  after  that, 
business  was  speedily  transacted,  and  the  Federal 
Council  has  really  done  a  great  deal  of  good." 

Friday,  February  3rd. — In  addition  to  a  violently 
warlike  proclamation,  Gambetta  has  issued  a  decree 
declaring  a  number  of  persons  ineligible  for  the  new 
Representative  Assembly.  "Justice  demands  that  all 
those  who  have  been  accessory  to  the  acts  of  the 
Government  which  began  with  the  outrage  of  the  2nd 
of  December,  and  ended  with  the  capitulation  of  Sedan, 
should  now  be  reduced  to  the  same  political  impotence 


Feb.4,  iSyi]  GAMBETTA'S  DECREE  537 

as  the  dynasty  whose  accomplices  and  tools  they  were. 
That  is  a  necessary  consequence  of  the  responsibility 
which  they  assumed  in  carrying  out  the  Emperor's 
measures.  These  include  all  persons  who  have  occupied 
the  positions  of  Minister,  Senator,  Councillor  of  State, 
or  Prefect  from  the  2nd  of  December,  1851,  to  the 
4th  of  September,  1870.  Furthermore,  all  persons  who, 
in  the  elections  to  the  legislative  bodies  during  the 
period  from  the  2nd  of  December,  1851,  to  the  4th  of 
September,  1870,  have  been  put  forward  in  any  way  as 
Government  candidates,  as  well  as  the  members  of 
those  families  that  have  reigned  in  France  since  1789, 
are  ineligible  for  election." 

The  Chief  instructs  me  to  telegraph  to  London  and 
Cologne  with  respect  to  this  decree,  that  the  Govern- 
ment at  Bordeaux  has  declared  whole  classes  of  the 
population — Ministers,  Senators,  Councillors  of  State, 
and  all  who  have  formerly  been  official  candidates — as 
ineligible  for  election.  The  apprehension  expressed  by 
Count  Bismarck  during  the  negotiations  for  the  Con- 
vention of  the  28th  of  January,  that  freedom  of  suffrage 
could  not  be  secured,  has  thus  been  confirmed.  In 
consequence  of  that  apprehension  the  Chancellor  of  the 
Confederation  at  that  time  proposed  the  convocation  of 
the  Corps  Legislatif,  but  Favre  would  not  agree  to  it. 
The  Chancellor  has  now  protested  in  a  Note  against  the 
exclusion  of  these  classes.  Only  an  Assembly  that  has 
been  freely  elected,  as  provided  by  the  Convention,  will 
be  recognised  by  Germany  as  representing  France. 

Count  Herbert  Bismarck  arrived  this  evening  from 
Germany. 

Saturday,  February  Uh. — The  Chief  has  protested 
against  Gambetta's  decree  in  a  telegram  to  Gambetta 
himself  and  in  a  note  to  Favre.     The  telegram  runs: 


5 38  GERMANY  PRO  TES TS  [Feb.  4, 1 87 1 

"  In  the  name  of  the  freedom  guaranteed  by  the 
Armistice  Convention,  I  protest  against  the  decree 
issued  in  your  name  which  robs  numerous  classes  of 
French  citizens  of  the  right  to  be  elected  to  the 
Assembly.  The  rights  guaranteed  by  that  Convention 
to  the  freely  elected  representatives  of  the  country  can- 
not be  acquired  through  elections  conducted  under  an 
oppressive  and  arbitrary  rule."  The  despatch  to  Favre 
after  giving  an  epitome  of  Gambetta's  decree,  goes  on 
to  say  :  "I  have  the  honour  to  ask  your  Excellency  if 
you  consider  this  to  be  in  harmony  with  the  stipulation 
of  the  Convention  that  the  Assembly  is  to  be  freely 
elected  ?  Allow  me  to  recall  to  your  Excellency's 
memory  the  negotiations  which  preceded  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  28th  of  January.  Already  at  that  time  I 
expressed  the  apprehension  that  in  presence  of  the  con- 
ditions then  prevailing  it  would  be  difficult  to  secure 
the  entire  freedom  of  the  elections,  and  to  prevent 
attempts  being  made  to  restrict  it.  In  consequence  of 
that  apprehension,  the  justice  of  which  M.  Gambetta's 
circular  of  to-day  seems  to  confirm,  I  raised  the  ques- 
tion whether  it  would  not  be  better  to  convoke  the 
Corps  Legislatif,  which  would  constitute  a  legal 
authority  returned  by  universal  suffrage.  Your  Excel- 
lency declined  to  adopt  that  suggestion  and  expressly 
promised  that  no  pressure  should  be  exercised  upon  the 
electors,  and  that  perfect  freedom  of  voting  should  be 
secured.  I  appeal  to  your  Excellency's  sense  of 
rectitude  in  requesting  you  to  say  whether  the  exclusion 
of  whole  categories  laid  down  as  a  matter  of  principle  in 
the  decree  in  question  is  in  harmony  with  the  freedom 
of  election  guaranteed  in  the  Convention  of  the  28th 
of  January  ?  I  believe  I  may  confidently  express  the 
hope  that  the   decree   in    question,   the  application  of 


Feb.  4, 1 871]  THE  ENGLISH  PAPERS  539 

which,  would  appear  to  be  an  infraction  of  the  stipula- 
tions of  that  Convention,  will  be  immediately  withdrawn 
and  that  the  Government  of  National  Defence  will  take 
the  necessary"  measures  to  ensure  the  freedom  of  election 
guaranteed  by  Article  11.  We  could  not  grant  to 
persons  elected  in  pursuance  of  the  Bordeaux  decree  the 
rights  secured  by  the  Armistice  to  the  members  of 
the  Assembly." 

After  10  o'clock  I  was  called  to  the  Chief,  who  said  : 
"  They  complain  in  Berlin  that  the  English  papers  are 
much  better  informed  than  ours,  and  that  we  have  com- 
municated so  little  to  our  journals  respecting  the 
negotiations  for  the  armistice.  How  has  that  come 
about  ? "  I  replied  :  "  The  fact  is,  Excellency,  that  the 
English  have  more  money  and  go  everywhere  to  get 
information.  Besides,  they  stand  well  with  certain 
august  personages  who  know  everything,  and  finally  the 
military  authorities  are  not  always  very  reserved  with 
regard  to  matters  that  ought,  for  the  time  being,  to  be 
kept  secret.  I,  of  course,  can  only  make  public  what 
it  is  proper  that  the  public  should  know."  "  Well, 
then,"  he  said,  "just  write  and  explain  how  it  is  that 
the  extraordinary  state  of  affairs  here  is  to  blame,  and 
not  we." 

I  then  took  the  opportunity  of  congratulating  him 
on  the  freedom  of  the  city  of  of  Leipzig,  which  has  been 
conferred  upon  him  within  the  last  few  days,  and  I 
added  that  it  was  a  good  city,  the  best  in  Saxony,  and 
one  for  which  I  had  always  had  a  great  regard.  "  Yes," 
he  replied.  "  Now  I  am  a  Saxo»,  too,  and  a  Hamburger, 
for  they  have  also  presented  me  with  the  freedom  of 
Hamburg.  One  would  hardly  have  expected  that  from 
them  in  1866." 

As  I  was  leaving  he  said  :  "  That  reminds  me — it  is 


540  ''AN  AMIABLE  BARBARIAN"         [Feb.  4, 1871 


also  one  of  the  wonders  of  our  time — please  write  an 
article  showing  up  the  extraordinary  action  of  Gambetta, 
who  after  posing  so  long  as  the  champion  of  liberty  and 
denouncing  the  Government  for  influencing  the  elec- 
tions, is  now  laying  violent  hands  on  the  freedom  of 
suffi'age.  He  wants  to  disqualify  all  those  who  differ 
from  him,  i.e.,  the  whole  official  world  of  France  with 
the  exception  of  thirteen  Republicans.  It  is  certainly 
very  odd  that  I  should  have  to  defend  such  a  principle 
against  Gambetta  and  his  associate  and  ally  Garibaldi." 
I  said  :  "  I  do  not  know  whether  it  was  intended,  but  in 
your  despatch  to  Gambetta  the  contrast  is  very  striking 
where  you  protest,  au  nom  de  la  liherte  des  elections 
against  les  dispositions  en  voire  nom  pour  priver  des 
categories  nomhreuses  du  d^'oit  d'etre  elues."  "  Yes,"  he 
replied,  "  you  might  also  mention  that  Thiers,  after  his 
negotiations  with  me,  described  me  as  an  amiable  bar- 
barian— un  harhare  aimahle.  Now  they  call  me  in  Paris 
a  crafty  barbarian — un  harhare  astutieux,  and  perhaps 
to-morrow  I  shall  be  un  harhare  constitutionnel." 

The  Chief  had  more  time  and  interest  for  the 
newspapers  this  morning  than  during  the  past  few 
days.  I  was  called  to  him  six  times  before  midday. 
On  one  occasion  he  handed  me  a  lying  French 
pamphlet,  "  La  Guerre  comme  la  font  les  Prussiens" 
and  observed  :  "  Please  write  to  Berlin  that  they  should 
put  together  something  of  this  description  from  our 
point  of  view,  quoting  all  the  cruelties,  barbarities, 
and  breaches  of  the  Geneva  Convention  committed  by 
the  French.  Not  too  much  however,  or  no  one  will 
read  it,  and  it  must  be  done  speedily."  Later  on  the 
Minister  handed  me  a  small  journal  published  by  a 
certain  Armand  le  Chevalier  at  61  Rue  Richelieu,  with 
a   woodcut  of  the  Chancellor  of  the  Confederation  as 


Feb.  4, 1871]    BISMARCK  AS  A  CHAMPION  OF  LIBERTY     541 

frontispiece.  The  Chief  said  :  "  Look  at  this.  Here  is 
a  man  who  refers  to  the  attempt  by  Blind,  and  recom- 
mends that  I  should  be  murdered,  and  at  the  same  time 
gives  my  portrait — like  the  photographs  carried  by  the 
franctireurs.  You  know  that  in  the  forests  of  the 
Ardennes  the  portraits  of  our  rangers  were  found  in  the 
pockets  of  the  franctireurs  who  were  to  shoot  them. 
Luckily  it  cannot  be  said  that  this  is  a  particularly 
good  likeness  of  me — and  the  biography  is  no  better." 
Then  reading  over  a  passage  and  handing  me  the 
paper,  he  said  :  "  This  portion  should  be  made  use  of 
in  the  press,  and  afterwards  be  introduced  in  the 
pamphlet." 

Finally  he  gave  me  some  more  French  newspapers 
saying :  "  Look  through  these  and  see  if  there  is 
anything  in  them  for  me  or  for  the  King.  I  must 
manage  to  get  away  or  I  shall  be  caught  by  our  Paris 
friends  a2;ain." 

Prince  Putbus  and  Count  Lehndorff  joined  us  at 
dinner.  The  Chief  related  how  he  had  called  Favre's 
attention  to  the  singular  circumstance  that  he,  Count 
von  Bismarck,  who  had  been  denounced  as  a  tyrant  and 
a  despot,  had  to  protest  in  the  name  of  liberty  against 
Gambetta's  proclamation,  Favre  agreed,  with  a  "  Om, 
cest  hien  drole."  The  restriction  on  the  freedom  of 
election  decreed  by  Gambetta  has,  however,  now  been 
withdrawn  by  the  Paris  section  of  the  French  Govern- 
ment.    "  He  announced  that   to  me  this    mornino-  in 

o 

writing,  and  he  had  previously  given  me  a  verbal 
assurance." 

It  was  then  mentioned  that  several  German  news- 
papers were  dissatisfied  with  the  capitulation,  as  they 
expected  our  troops  to  march  into  Paris  at  once.  "  That 
comes,"  said  the  Chief,  "  of  a  complete  misapprehension 


542  AN  EXP  I  A  TION  [Feb.  4,  1 87 1 

of  the  situation  here  and  in  Paris.  I  could  have 
managed  Favre,  but  the  population  !  They  have 
strong  barricades  and  300,000  men  of  whom  cer- 
tainly 100,000  would  have  fought.  Blood  enough 
has  been  shed  in  this  war — enough  German  blood. 
Had  we  appealed  to  force  much  more  would  have 
been  spilt — in  the  excited  condition  of  the  people. 
And  merely  to  inflict  one  additional  humiliation  upon 
them — that  would  have  been  too  dearly  bought."  After 
reflecting  for  a  moment,  he  continued  :  "  And  who  told 
them  that  we  shall  not  still  enter  Paris  and  occupy  a 
portion  of  it  ?  Or  at  least  march  through,  when  they 
have  cooled  down  and  come  to  reason.  The  armistice 
will  probably  be  prolonged,  and  then,  in  return  for  our 
readiness  to  make  concessions,  we  can  demand  the  occu- 
pation of  the  city  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river.  I 
think  we  shall  be  there  in  about  three  weeks."  "  The 
24th  " — he  reflected  for  a  moment — "  yes,  it  was  on  the 
24th  that  the  Constitution  of  the  North  German  Con- 
federation was  made  public.  It  was  also  on  the  24th  of 
February,  1859,  that  we  had  to  submit  to  certain 
particularly  mean  treatment.  I  told  them  that  it  would 
have  to  be  expiated.  Exoriare  aliquis.  I  am  only 
sorry  that  the  Wiirtemberg  Minister  to  the  Bundestag, 
old  Reinhart,  has  not  lived  to  see  it.  Prokesch  has 
though,  and  I  am  glad  of  that,  because  he  was  the  worst. 
According  to  a  despatch  from  Constantinople,  which  I 
read  this  morning,  Prokesch  is  now  quite  in  agreement 
with  us,  praises  the  energies  and  intelligence  of  Prussia's 
policy,  and  (here  the  Minister  smiled  scornfully)  has 
always,  or  at  least  for  a  long  time  past,  recommended 
co-operation  with  us." 

The  Chief  had  been  to  Mont  Valerien  to-day,     "  I 
was  never  there  before/'  he  said,  "  and  when  one  sees 


Feb.4,  i87i]  BISMARCK  AT  ST.  CLOUD  543 

the  strong  works  and  the  numerous  contrivances  for 
defence — we  should  have  terrible  losses  in  storming  it, 
One  dares  not  even  think  of  it." 

The  Minister  said  one  of  the  objects  of  Favre's  visit 
to-day  was  to  request  that  the  masses  of  country  people 
who  had  fled  to  Paris  in  September  should  be  allowed  to 
leave.  They  were  mostly  inhabitants  of  the  environs 
and  there  must  be  nearly  300,000  of  them,  "  I  declined 
permission,"  he  continued,  "  explaining  to  him  that 
our  soldiers  now  occupied  their  houses.  If  the  owners 
came  out  and  saw  how  their  property  had  been 
wrecked  and  ruined  they  would  be  furious,  and  no 
blame  to  them,  and  they  would  upbraid  our  people  and 
then  there  might  be  dangerous  brawls  and  perhaps 
something  still  worse."  The  Chancellor  had  also 
been  to  St.  Cloud,  and  whilst  he  was  looking  at  the 
burnt  palace  and  recalling  to  mind  the  condition 
of  the  room  in  which  he  had  dined  with  Napoleon,  there 
was  a  well-dressed  Frenchman  there — probably  from 
Paris — who  was  being  shown  round  by  a  man  in  a  blouse. 
"  I  could  catch  every  word  they  said,  as  they  spoke  aloud, 
and  I  have  sharp  ears.  '  C'est  I'oeuvre  de  Bismarck,' 
said  the  man  in  the  blouse,  but  the  other  merely  replied 
'  C'est  la  guerre.'  If  they  had  only  known  that  I  was 
listening  to  them  !  " 

Count  Bismarck-Bohlen  mentioned  that  the  Landwehr, 
somewhere  in  this  neighbourhood,  gave  a  refractory 
Frenchman,  who  tried  to  stab  an  ofiicer  with  a  penknife, 
seventy -five  blows  with  the  flat  of  the  sword.  ' '  Seventy- 
five  !  "  said  the  Chief  ''  H'm,  that,  after  all,  is  somewhat 
too  much."  Somebody  related  a  similar  instance  that 
had  occurred  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Meaux.  As  Count 
Herbert  was  passing  recently,  a  miller,  who  had  abused 
Count  Bismarck  and  said  he  wished  he  had  him  between 


544    FA  VRE  TR  YING  TO  RIDE  THE  HIGH  HORSE  [Feb.  4, 187 1 

two  millstones,  was  laid  flat  by  the  soldiers  and  so  fear- 
fully beaten  that  he  was  not  able  to  stir  for  a  couple  of 
hours. 

The  election  addresses  posted  on  the  walls  by  the 
candidates  for  the  National  Assembly  were  then  discussed, 
and  it  was  observed  that,  in  general,  they  were  still 
very  aggressive,  and  promised  to  achieve  wonders  at 
Bordeaux.  "  Yes,"  said  the  Chief ;  "I  quite  believe  that. 
Favre  also  tried  once  or  twice  to  ride  the  high  horse. 
But  it  did  not  last  long.  I  always  brought  him  down 
with  a  jesting  remark." 

Some  one  referred  to  the  speech  made  by  Klaczko 
on  the  30th  of  January  in  the  Delegation  of  the 
Eeichsrath  against  Austria's  co-operation  with  Prussia, 
and  to  Giskra's  revelation  in  the  morning  edition  of  the 
National  Zeitung  of  the  2nd  of  February.  Giskra  said 
that  Bismarck  wished  to  send  him  from  Briinn  to  Vienna 
with  proposals  for  peace.  These  were,  in  effect :  Apart 
from  the  maintenance  in  Venetia  of  the  status  quo 
before  the  war,  the  Main  line  was  to  be  recognised  as 
the  limit  of  Prussian  ascendancy,  there  was  to  be  no  war 
indemnity,  but  French  mediation  was  to  be  excluded. 
Giskra  sent  Baron  Herring  to  Vienna  with  these 
proposals.  The  latter  was,  however,  coolly  received  by 
Moritz  Esterhazy,  and  after  waiting  for  sixteen  hours 
obtained  only  an  evasive  answer.  On  proceeding  to 
Nikolsburg,  Herring  found  Benedetti  already  there,  and 
was  told  :  "  You  come  too  late."  As  Giskra  points  out, 
the  French  mediation  accordingly  cost  Austria  a  war 
indemnity  of  thirty  millions.  It  was  observed  that 
Prussia  could  have  extorted  more  from  Austria  at  that 
time,  and  also  a  cession  of  territory,  for  instance, 
Austrian  Silesia,  and  perhaps  Bohemia.  The  Chief 
replied  :  "  Possibly,  as  for  money,  what  more  could  the 


Feb.  4,  1 871]      HOW  BISMARCK  CHEERED  HIMSELF  545 


poor  devils  give  ?  Bohemia  would  have  been  something 
and  there  were  people  who  entertained  the  thought. 
But  we  should  have  created  difficulties  for  ourselves  in 
that  way,  and  Austrian  Silesia  was  not  of  much  value  to 
us  ;  for  just  there  the  devotion  to  the  Imperial  house  and 
the  Austrian  connection  was  greater  than  elsewhere 
In  such  cases  one  must  ask  for  what  one  really  wants 
and  not  what  one  might  be  able  to  get." 

In  this  connection  he  related  that  on  one  occasion,  as 
he  was  walking  about  in  mufti  at  Nikolsburg,  he  met 
two  policemen  who  wished  to  arrest  a  man.  "  I  asked 
what  he  had  done,  but  of  course  as  a  civilian  I  got  no 
answer.  I  then  inquired  of  the  man  himself,  who  told 
me  that  it  was  because  he  had  spoken  disrespectfully  of 
Count  Bismarck.  They  nearly  took  me  along  with  him 
because  I  said  that  doubtless  many  others  had  done  the 
same." 

"  That  reminds  me  that  I  was  once  obliged  to  join 
in  a  cheer  for  myself.  It  was  in  1866,  in  the  evening, 
after  the  entry  of  the  troops.  I  was  unwell  just  then, 
and  my  wife  did  not  wish  to  let  me  go  out.  I  went, 
however — on  the  sly — and  as  I  was  about  to  cross  the 
street  again  near  the  palace  of  Prince  Charles,  there 
was  a  great  crowd  of  people  collected  there,  who  de- 
sired to  give  me  an  ovation.  I  was  in  plain  clothes, 
and  with  my  broad  brimmed  hat  pulled  down  over  my 
eyes,  I  perhaps  looked  like  a  suspicious  character — I 
don't  know  why.  As  some  of  them  seemed  inclined  to 
be  unpleasant,  I  thought  the  best  thing  to  do  was  to 
join  in  their  hurrah." 

From  8  p.m.  on  read  drafts  and  despatches,  including 
Favre's  answer  to  the  Chief  in  the  matter  of  Gambetta's 
electioneerino-  manoeuvre.     It  runs  as  follows  : — 

o 

"  You    are    right    in    appealing    to    my    sense    of 

VOL.    I  I>    N 


546  A  LETTER  FROM  FAVRE  [Feb.  4,  1871 

rectitude.  You  shall  never  find  it  fail  me  in  my 
dealings  with  you.  It  is  perfectly  true  that  your 
Excellency  strongly  urged  upon  me  as  the  sole  way  out 
of  the  difficulty  to  convoke  the  former  legislative  bodies. 
I  declined  to  adopt  that  course  for  various  reasons  which 
it  is  needless  to  recall,  but  which  you  will  doubtless  not 
have  forgotten.  In  reply  to  your  Excellency's  objec- 
tions, I  said  I  was  convinced  that  my  country  only 
desired  the  free  exercise  of  the  suffrage,  and  that  its 
sole  resource  lay  in  the  popular  sovereignty.  That  will 
make  it  clear  to  you  that  I  cannot  agree  to  the  restric- 
tions that  have  been  imposed  upon  the  franchise.  I 
have  not  opposed  the  system  of  official  candidatures  in 
order  to  revive  it  now  for  the  benefit  of  the  present 
Government.  Your  Excellency  may  therefore  rest 
assured  that  if  the  decree  mentioned  in  your  letter  to 
me  has  been  issued  by  the  Delegation  at  Bordeaux,  it 
will  be  withdrawn  by  the  Government  of  National 
Defence.  For  this  purpose  I  only  require  to  obtain 
official  evidence  of  the  existence  of  the  decree  in 
question.  This  will  be  done  by  means  of  a  telegram  to 
be  despatched  to-day.  There  are,  therefore,  no  dif- 
ferences of  opinion  between  us,  and  we  must  both 
continue  to  co-operate  in  resolutely  carrying  into 
execution  the  Convention  which  we  have  signed." 

Called  to  the  Chief  at  9  p.m.  He  wants  to  have  an 
article  written  pointing  out  that  the  entry  of  our  troops 
into  Paris  is  at  present  impracticable,  but  may  be 
possible  later  on.  This  is  in  answer  in  the  National 
Zeitung  to  an  article  criticising  the  terms  of  armistice. 

With  regard  to  an  article  in  the  Cologne  Volks- 
zeitung  showing  that  the  Ultramontanes  have  off'ered  a 
subsidy  to  the  leaders  of  the  General  Association  of 
German  Workers  on  condition   that  they  promote  the 


Feb.  5,  1 8; i]  FAVRE'S  ATTITUDES  547 

election  of  clerical  candidates,  the  Minister  says : 
"  Look  here.  Please  see  that  the  newspapers  speak  of 
a  '  Savigny-Bebel  party '  whenever  an  opportunity 
occurs,  and  that  must  be  repeated."  And  just  as  I  am 
going  out  of  the  room  he  calls  after  me  :  "Or  the 
*  Liebknecht-Savigny  party.'  "  We  take  note  of  that, 
and  shall  speak  from  time  to  time  of  this  new  party. 

Sunday,  February  5th. — We  are  joined  at  dinner 
by  Favre,  d'Herisson,  and  the  Director  of  the  Western 
Railway,  a  man  with  a  broad,  comfortable,  smiling  face, 
apparently  about  thirty- six  years  of  age.  Favre,  who 
sits  next  to  the  Chief,  looks  anxious,  worried  and  de- 
pressed. His  head  hangs  on  one  side,  and  sometimes 
for  a  change  sinks  on  to  his  breast,  his  underlip 
following  suit.  When  he  is  not  eating,  he  lays  his  two 
hands  on  the  table-cloth,  one  on  top  of  the  other,  in 
submission  to  the  decrees  of  fate,  or  he  crosses  his  arms 
in  the  style  of  Napoleon  the  First,  a  sign  that,  on  closer 
consideration,  he  still  feels  confident  in  himself.  During 
dinner  the  Chief  speaks  only  French,  and  mostly  in  a 
low  voice,  and  I  am  too  tired  to  follow  the  conversation. 

The  Chief  instructs  me  to  send  the  following  short 
paragraph  to  one  of  our  newspapers  :  The  Kolnische 
Zeitimg  has  made  itself  the  organ,  it  is  true  with  some 
reservations,  of  those  who  complain  of  the  alleged 
destruction  of  French  forests  by  our  officials.  One 
would  think  it  could  have  found  some  other  occupation 
than  to  scrutinise  our  administration  of  the  public 
forests  of  France.  We  act  in  accordance  with  the 
principles  of  forestry,  even  if  we  do  not  follow  the 
French  system.  Moreover,  we  should  be  within  our 
rights  if  we  exploited  these  resources  of  the  enemy  in 
the  most  ruthless  manner,  as  that  would  render  the 
French  more  disposed  to  conclude  peace. 

N   N   2 


548  AN  ARTICLE  FOR  THE  '' MONITEUR"    [Feb.  6,  1871 

He  also  warmly  praised  the  active  part  taken  by  the 
Duke  of  Meiningen  in  the  conduct  of  the  war.  He  con- 
cluded :  "I  wish  that  to  be  mentioned  in  the  press. 
The  background  is  ready  to  hand  in  the  princely  loafing 
and  palace  looting  of  the  rest  of  them." 

Monday,  February  6th. — The  Chief  desires  to  have 
an  article  against  Gambetta  published  in  the  Moniteur. 
I  write  the  following  : — 

"  The  Convention  of  the  28th  of  January,  concluded 
between  Count  von  Bismarck  and  M.  Jules  Favre,  has 
revived  the  hopes  of  all  sincere  friends  of  peace.  Since 
the  events  of  the  4th  of  September  the  military  honour 
of  Germany  has  received  sufficient  satisfaction,  so  that 
it  may  now  yield  to  the  desire  to  enter  into  negotiations 
with  a  Government  which  truly  represents  the  French 
nation  for  a  peace  that  will  guarantee  the  fruits  of 
victory  and  secure  our  future.  When  the  Governments 
represented  at  Versailles  and  Paris  finally  succeeded  in 
coming  to  an  understanding,  of  which  the  conditions 
were  prescribed  by  the  force  of  circumstances,  and 
France  was  restored  to  herself,  they  were  justified  in 
expecting  that  these  preliminaries  of  a  new  era  in  the 
relations  of  the  two  countries  would  be  generally 
respected.  The  decree  issued  by  M.  Gambetta  dis- 
qualifying all  former  functionaries  and  dignitaries, 
senators,  and  official  candidates  from  election  to  the 
National  Assembly  was  perhaps  necessary  to  show 
France  the  abyss  towards  which  it  has  been  gravitating 
since  the  dictatorship,  sacrificing  the  best  blood  of  the 
country,  refused  to  convoke  the  representatives  of  the 
nation  in  the  regular  way. 

"  The  second  article  of  the  Convention  of  the  28th 
of  January  shows  clearly  and  plainly  that  the  freedom 
of  the  elections  is  one  of  the  conditions  of  the  Conven- 


Feb.  6,  1 871]  GERMANY'S  INTENTIONS  549 

tion  itself.  In  entering  into  such  an  arrangement 
for  the  elections,  Germany  only  took  into  consideration 
the  existing  French  laws,  and  not  the  good  will  and 
pleasure  of  this  or  that  popular  Tribune.  It  would  be 
just  as  easy  to  call  together  a  Rump  Parliament  in 
Bordeaux,  and  make  it  a  tool  for  the  subjection  of  the 
other  half  of  France.  We  are  convinced  that  all  honour- 
able and  sincere  French  patriots  will  protest  against  the 
action  of  the  Delegation  at  Bordeaux,  which  is  entirely 
arbitrary  and  opposed  to  all  sound  reason.  If  there 
were  any  prospect  that  this  action  would  be  allowed  to 
unite  all  the  anarchical  parties  who  tolerate  the  dicta- 
torship in  so  far  as  it  represents  their  favourite  ideas, 
the  most  serious  complications  would  inevitably  ensue. 

"  Germany  does  not  intend  to  interfere  in  any  way 
in  the  domestic  affairs  of  France.  She  has,  however, 
through  the  agreement  of  the  28th  of  January,  secured 
the  right  to  see  that  a  public  authority  is  established 
which  will  possess  the  attributes  necessary  to  enable  it 
to  negotiate  peace  in  the  name  of  France.  If  Germany 
is  denied  the  right  to  negotiate  for  peace  with  the  whole 
nation,  if  an  attempt  is  made  to  substitute  the  repre- 
sentatives of  a  faction  for  the  representatives  of  the 
nation,  the  armistice  convention  would  thereby  become 
null  and  void.  We  readily  acknowledge  that  the 
Government  of  National  Defence  has  immediately  recog- 
nised the  justice  of  the  complaints  made  by  Count  von 
Bismarck  in  his  despatch  of  the  3rd  of  February.  That 
Government  has  addressed  itself  to  the  French  nation 
in  language  marked  by  nobility  and  elevation  of  feeling, 
setting  forth  the  difficulties  of  the  situation  and  the 
efforts  made  to  relieve  the  country  from  the  last 
consequences  of  an  unfortunate  campaign.  At  the  same 
time,  it  has  cancelled  the  decree  of  the  Delegation  at 


550  LORD  AUGUSTUS  LOFTUS  [Feb.  7,  1871 

Bordeaux.  Let  us  hope,  therefore,  that  the  action  of 
M.  Gambetta  will  receive  no  support  in  the  country,  and 
that  it  will  be  possible  to  conduct  the  elections  in  perfect 
harmony  with  the  spirit  and  letter  of  the  Convention  of 
the  28th  of  January." 

I  am  called  to  the  Minister  again  at  11  o'clock, 
and  instructed  to  defend  Favre  against  the  rabid  attacks 
of  some  French  newspapers.  The  Chief  says  :  "  They 
actually  take  him  to  task  for  having  dined  with  me. 
I  had  much  trouble  in  getting  him  to  do  so.  But  it  is 
unfair  to  expect  that,  after  working  with  me  for  eight 
or  ten  hours,  he  should  either  starve  as  a  staunch  Re- 
publican, or  go  out  to  a  hotel  where  the  people  would 
run  after  him  and  stare  at  him." 

The  Frenchmen  are  again  here  between  2  and  4  p.m. 
They  are  six  or  seven  in  number,  including  Favre  and, 
if  I  rightly  heard  the  name,  General  Leflo.  The  Chief's 
eldest  son  and  Count  Donhoff  join  us  at  dinner. 

Subsequently  I  despatch  a  dementi  of  a  Berlin 
telegram  published  by  The  Times,  according  to  which 
we  propose  to  demand  the  surrender  of  twenty  iron- 
clads and  the  colony  of  Pondicherry,  together  with  a 
war  indemnity  of  ten  milliards  of  francs.  This  I 
describe  as  a  gross  invention  which  cannot  possibly 
have  been  credited  in  England,  or  have  created  any 
anxiety  there.  I  then  hint  at  the  probable  source, 
namely,  the  clumsy  imagination  of  an  unfriendly  and 
intriguing  diplomatist.  "  That  comes  from  Loftus," 
says  the  Chief,  as  he  gives  me  these  instructions. 
"  An  ill-mannered  fellow  who  was  always  seeking  to 
make  mischief  with  us." 

Tuesday,  Febyuary  7th. — From  Bucarest  despatches 
it  seems  as  if  the  reign  of  Prince  Charles  were  really 
coming  to  a  speedy  end.     With  the  retention  of  Dalwigk 


Feb.  9,  1 87 1]     THE  PARIS  WAR  CONTRIBUTION  551 

at  Darmstadt,  the  old  confederacy  of  opponents  of 
German  unity  remains  firmly  entrenched,  and  the  well- 
known  intrigues  continue  unhindered,  A  telegram  from 
Bordeaux  brings  the  expected  news.  Gambetta  yester- 
day announced  in  a  circular  to  the  Prefects  that  his 
Parisian  colleagues  having  annulled  his  decree  with 
regard  to  the  elections,  he  has  informed  them  of  his 
resignation.  A  good  sign.  He  can  hardly  have  a  strong 
party  behind  him  or  he  would  scarcely  have  resigned. 

Wednesday,  February  8th. — The  Chief  is  up  at  an 
unusually  early  hour,  and  drives  off  at  9.45  to  see  the 
King.  Favre  arrives  shortly  before  1  o'clock,  accom- 
panied by  a  swarm  of  Frenchmen.  There  must  be  ten 
or  twelve  of  them.  He  confers  with  the  Minister  after 
first  lunching  with  us. 

In  the  evening  the  Chief  and  his  son  dined  with  the 
Crown  Prince,  but  first  remained  for  a  while  with  us. 
He  again  observed  with  satisfaction  that  Favre  had  not 
taken  off'ence  at  his  "  spiteful  letter,"  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, had  thanked  him  for  it.  The  Chief  had  repeated 
to  him  verbally  that  it  was  his  duty  to  share  the  dish 
which  he  had  helped  to  cook.  To-day  they  had  dis- 
cussed the  way  of  raising  the  Paris  war  contribution  ; 
the  French  wanted  to  pay  the  greater  part  of  it  in  bank 
notes,  and  we  might  lose  in  that  way.  "  I  do  not  know 
the  value  of  what  they  offer,"  he  said  ;  "  but  in  any  case 
it  is  to  their  advantage.  They  must,  however,  pay  the 
whole  amount  agreed  upon.  I  will  not  remit  a  single 
franc." 

Thursday,  February  9th. — Speaking  again  of  the 
Paris  contribution,  the  Chancellor  observed  at  dinner  : 
"  Stosch  tells  me  he  can  dispose  of  fifty  million  francs 
in  bank  notes  to  pay  for  provisions,  &c.,  in  France. 
We  must  have  proper  security,  however,  for  the  remain- 


552  BISMARCK'S  OPINION  OF  COLONIES    [Feb.  9,  187 1 

ing  hundred  and  fifty  millions."  Then  alluding  to 
the  foolish  story  about  our  wanting  Pondicherry,  he 
continued  :  "  I  do  not  want  any  colonies  at  all.  Their 
only  use  is  to  provide  sinecures.  That  is  all  England 
at  present  gets  out  of  her  colonies,  and  Spain  too. 
And  as  for  us  Germans,  colonies  would  be  exactly  like 
the  silks  and  sables  of  the  Polish  nobleman  who  had 
no  shirt  to  wear  under  them." 


CHAPTER   XIX 

FROM      GAMBETTA'S     RESIGNATION     TO     THE      CONCLUSION 
OP   THE    PRELIMINARIES    OF    PEACE 

Friday,  Fehriiary  10th. — Fresh  complaints  respect- 
ing the  intrigues  of  Dalwigk,  and  especially  the  measures 
for  depriving  the  national  constituencies  in  Hesse  of 
their  representatives  and  securing  the  victory  of  the 
Ultramontane  and  Democratic  coalition.  The  Chief 
desires  me  to  see  that  an  "immediate  and  energetic 
campaign  in  the  press  "  is  organised  against  these  and 
other  mischievous  proceedings  inspired  by  Beust's 
friends.  He  also  wishes  the  Moniteur  to  reprint  the 
long  list  of  French  officers  who  have  broken  their  parole 
and  escaped  from  Germany. 

We  were  joined  at  dinner  by  the  Duke  of  Ratibor 
and  a  Herr  von  Kotze,  the  husband  of  the  Chief's 
niece.  Strousberg,  a  business  friend  of  the  Duke's,  was 
mentioned,  and  the  Chief  observed  that  nearly  all,  or  at 
least  very  many  of  the  members  of  the  Provisional 
Government  were  Jews  :  Simon,  Cremieux,  Magnin,  also 
Picard,  whose  Semitic  origin  he  would  hardly  have 
suspected,  and  "  very  probably  Gambetta  also,  from  his 
features."  "  For  the  same  reason,  I  suspect  even  Favre," 
he  added. 

Saturday,  February  11th. — In  the  morning  I  read 


554  ENGLAND  AND  FRANCE  [Feb.  ii,  1871 


the  newspapers,  and  particularly  certain  debates  in  the 
English  Parliament  at  the  end  of  last  month.  It  really 
looks  as  if  our  good  friends  across  the  Channel  had  a 
suspicious  leaning  towards  France,  and  as  if  they  were 
not  at  all  disinclined  to  interfere  once  more — indeed,  in 
certain  circumstances,  an  Anglo-French  alliance  would 
appear  quite  possible.  It  is  a  question,  however,  whether 
they  might  not  fall  between  two  stools.  A  very  different 
result  might  well  ensue.  From  what  one  hears  and  reads 
in  the  newspapers,  the  feeling  in  this  country  is  almost 
as  hostile  to  the  English  as  to  ourselves,  and  in  certain 
circles  more  so.  It  may  well  happen  that  if  England 
adopts  a  threatening  attitude  towards  us,  we  may  sur- 
prise our  cousins  in  London  with  the  very  reverse  of  a 
Franco-English  alliance  against  Germany.  We  may 
even  be  obliged  to  seriously  consider  the  forcible  restora- 
tion of  Napoleon,  which  we  have  not  hitherto  contem- 
plated. According  to  a  telegram  of  the  2nd  inst., 
Bernstorff  is  to  see  that  these  ideas  are  cautiously 
ventilated  in  the  press. 

Count  Henckel  and  Bleichroder  dined  with  us.  It 
seems  that  in  the  negotiations  with  the  French 
financiers,  Scheidtmann  described  them  to  their  faces  in 
language  more  vigorous  than  flattering,  talking  of  them 
as  pigs,  dogs,  rabble,  &c.,  in  ignorance  of  the  fact  that 
some  of  them  understood  German.  The  Chief  then 
spoke  of  the  insolence  of  the  Parisian  press,  which 
behaved  as  if  the  city  were  not  in  our  power  :  "If  that 
goes  on  we  must  tell  them  that  we  will  no  longer  stand 
it.  It  must  cease,  or  we  shall  answer  their  articles  by  a 
few  shells  from  the  forts."  Henckel  having  alluded  to 
the  unsatisfactory  state  of  public  opinion  in  Alsace,  the 
Chief  said  that,  properly  speaking,  no  elections  ought  to 
have  been  allowed  there  at  all,  and  he  had  not  intended 


Feb.  n,  1871]  THE  INSOLENCE  OF  THE  PARIS  PRESS      555 


to  allow  tliem.     But  inadvertently  the  same  instructions 
were  sent  to  the  German  officials  there  as  elsewhere. 
The  melancholy  situation  of  the  Prince  of  Rumania  was 
then  referred  to,  and  from  the  Rumanian  Radicals  the 
conversation  turned  to  Rumanian    stocks.     Bleichroder 
said  that  financiers  always  speculated  on  the  ignorance 
of  the  masses,  and  upon  their  blind  cupidity.     This  was 
confirmed  by  Henckel,  who  said  :  "  I  had  a  quantity  of 
Rumanian  securities,  but  after  I  had  made  about  8  per 
cent.  1  got  rid  of  them,  as  I  knew  they  could  not  yield 
15  per  cent,  and  that  alone  could  have  saved  them." 
The  Chief  then  related  that  the  French  were  committing 
all  sorts  of  fraud  in  the  revictualling  of  Paris.     It  was 
not  out  of  pride  that  they  refused  our  contributions,  but 
merely  because  they  could  make  no  profit  out  of  them. 
Even  members   of  the  Government  were  involved,  and 
Magnin  was  understood  to  have  recently  made  700,000 
francs  on  the  purchase  of  sheep.     "  We  must  let  them 
see  that  we  know  that,"  said  the  Chief,  glancing  at  me ; 
"  it  will  be  useful  in  the  peace  negotiations."     This  was 
done  without  delay. 

After  dinner  I  wrote  some  paragraphs  on  the  instruc- 
tions of  the  Chief.  The  first  was  to  the  efi'ect  that  we 
ought  no  longer  to  tolerate  the  insolence  of  the  Parisian 
journalists.  How^ever  generous  and  patient  we  might 
be,  it  was  past  endurance  that  the  French  press  should 
venture  to  deride  and  insult  to  his  face  the  victor  who 
stood  before  the  walls  of  the  capital  which  he  had  abso- 
lutely in  his  power.  Moreover,  such  mendacity  and 
violence  would  prove  an  obstacle  to  the  conclusion  of 
peace,  by  producing  bitterness  on  both  sides  and  delay- 
ing the  advent  of  a  calmer  spirit.  This  could  not  be 
foreseen  when  the  armistice  Convention  was  concluded, 
and  in  discussing  any  prolongation  of  the  truce,  efi"ective 


556  THE  BORDEAUX  ASSEMBLY       [Feb.  22,  1871 

means  would  have  to  be  found  for  preventing  further 
provocation  of  the  kind.  Undoubtedly  the  best  way 
would  be  the  occupation  of  the  city  itself  by  our  troops. 
We  should  thus  relieve  the  French  Government  of  a 
source  of  grave  anxiety,  and  avert  the  evil  consequences 
of  inflammatory  articles  in  the  press,  which  they  are 
perhaps  not  in  a  position  to  repress, 

Sunday,  February  12th. — It  is  announced  in  a  tele- 
gram from  Cassel  that  Napoleon  has  issued  a  proclama- 
tion to  the  French.  The  Minister  handed  it  to  me, 
saying  :  "  Please  have  this  published  in  our  local  paper. 
It  is  in  order  to  lead  them  astray,  so  that  they  may  not 
know  where  they  stand.  But  for  God's  sake  don't  date 
it  from  Wilhelmshohe,  or  they  will  think  that  we  are 
in  communication  with  him.  '  Le  bureau  Wolff  tele- 
graphie.'"  The  Chief  seems  to  be  unwell.  He  does 
not  come  to  dinner. 

Wednesday,  February  15th. — I  again  draw  atten- 
tion in  the  Mo7iiteur  to  the  disgraceful  tone  of  the 
Parisian  press.  I  intimate  that  this  agitation  is  delay- 
ing the  conclusion  of  peace,  and  that  the  most  certain 
way  of  putting  an  end  to  it  would  be  the  occupation  of 
Paris. 

Wednesday,  Fehriiai^y  22nd. — During  the  last  week 
I  have  written  a  number  of  articles  and  paragraphs,  and 
despatched  about  a  dozen  telegrams. 

The  Assembly  at  Bordeaux  shows  a  proper  apprecia- 
tion of  the  position.  It  has  declined  to  support  Gam- 
betta,  and  has  elected  Thiers  as  chief  of  the  Executive 
and  spokesman  on  behalf  of  France  in  the  negotiations 
for  peace  which  began  here  yesterday.  At  dinner 
yesterday,  at  which  we  were  joined  by  Henckel,  the 
Chief  remarked,  with  reference  to  these  negotiations, 
"  If  they  were  to  give  us  another  milliard  we  might 


BISMARCK  TALKS  GERMAN  WITH  THIERS         557 

perhaps  leave  them  Metz,  and  build  a  fortress  a  few 
miles  further  back,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Falkenberg 
or  towards  Saarbriicken — there  must  be  some  suitable 
position  there.  I  do  not  want  so  many  Frenchmen  in 
our  house.  It  is  the  same  with  Belfort,  which  is 
entirely  French.  But  the  soldiers  will  not  hear  of 
giving  up  Metz,  and  perhaps  they  are  right." 

Generals  von  Kameke  and  von  Treskow  dined  with 
us  to-day.  The  Chief  spoke  about  his  second  meeting 
with  Thiers  to-day :  "  On  my  making  that  demand " 
(what  the  demand  was  escaped  me),  "he  jumped  up, 
although  he  is  otherwise  quite  capable  of  controlling 
himself,  and  said,  '  Mais  c'est  une  indignite ! '  I  did 
not  allow  that  to  put  me  out,  however,  but  began  to 
speak  to  him  in  German.  He  listened  for  a  while,  and 
evidently  did  not  know  what  to  make  of  it.  He  then 
said  in  a  querulous  voice,  'Mais,  Monsieur  le  Comte, 
vous  savez  bien  que  je  ne  sais  point  I'allemand.'  I 
replied,  speaking  in  French  again,  'When  you  spoke 
just  now  of  indignite  I  found  that  I  did  not  know 
enough  French,  and  so  preferred  to  use  German,  in 
which  I  understand  what  I  say  and  hear.'  He  imme- 
diately caught  my  meaning,  and  wrote  down  as  a  con- 
cession the  demand  which  he  had  previously  resented 
as  an  indignite^ 

The  Chief  continued  :  "  Yesterday  he  spoke  of  Europe, 
which  would  intervene  if  we  did  not  moderate  our 
demands.  But  I  replied,  'If  you  speak  to  me  of 
Europe  I  shall  speak  to  you  of  Napoleon.'  He  would 
not  believe  that  they  had  anything  to  fear  from  him. 
I  proved  the  contrary  to  him,  however.  He  should 
remember  the  plebiscite  and  the  peasantry,  together 
with  the  officers  and  soldiers.  It  was  only  under  the 
Emperor  that  the  Guards  could  again  have  the  position 
which  they  formerly  occupied  ;  and  with  a  little  clever- 


558  THE  WAR  INDEMNITY  [Feb.  22,  187 1 

ness  it  could  not  be  difficult  for  Napoleon  to  win  over 
100,000  soldiers  among  the  prisoners  in  Germany.     We 
should  then  only  have  to  arm  them  and  let  them  cross 
the  frontier,  and  France  would  be  his  once  more.     If 
they  would  concede  good  conditions  of  peace  we  might 
even  put  up  with  one  of  the  Orleans,  though  we  knew 
that  that  would  mean  another  war  within  two  or  three 
years.     If  not,  we  should  have  to  interfere,  which  we 
had  avoided  doing  up  to  the  present,  and  they  would 
have   to  take    Napoleon    back    again.     That,  after   all, 
must  have  produced  a  certain  effect  upon  him,  as,  to- 
day, just  as  he  was  going  to  talk  about  Europe  again,  he 
suddenly  broke  off  and  said, '  Excuse  me.'    For  the  rest, 
I  like  him  very  well.     He  is  at  least  highly  intelligent, 
has  good  manners,  and  is  an  excellent  story-teller.     Be- 
sides, I  often  pity  him,  for  he  is  in  an  extremely  awk- 
ward position.    But  all  that  can't  help  him  in  the  least." 
With  regard  to  the  war  indemnity,  the  Chief  said  : 
"  Thiers  insisted  that  fifteen  hundred  million  francs  was 
the  maximum,  as  it  was  incredible  how  much  the   war 
had  cost  them.     And  in  addition  to  that  everything 
supplied  to  them  was  of  bad  quality.     If  a  soldier  only 
slipped  and  fell  down,  his  trousers  went  to  pieces,  the 
cloth  was  so  wretched.     It  was  the  same  with  the  shoes 
which  had  pasteboard  soles,   and  also  with  the  rifles, 
particularly  those  from  America."    I  replied  :  "But  just 
imagine,  you  are  suddenly  pounced  upon  by  a  man  who 
wants  to  thrash  you,  and  after  defending  yourself  and 
getting  the  better  of  him,  you  demand  compensation — 
what  would  you  say  if  he   asked  you   to  bear  in  mind 
how  much  he  had  had  to  j)ay  for  the  stick  with  which 
he  had  intended  to  beat  you,  and  how  worthless  the 
stick  had  proved  to  be  ? '     However  there  is  a  very  wide 
margin    between    fifteen    hundred    and    six    thousand 
millions." 


Feb.  22,  1 871  ]  DIPLOMATIC  REPORTS  559 

The  conversation  then  lost  itself — I  can  no  longer 
remember  how — in  the  depths  of  the  Polish  forests  and 
marshes,  turning  for  a  while  on  the  large  solitary  farm 
houses  in  those  districts  and  upon  colonisation  in  the 
"backwoods  of  the  east."  The  Chief  said:  "Formerly 
when  so  many  things  were  going  wrong — even  in  private 
affairs — 1  often  thought  that  if  the  worst  came  to  the 
worst  I  would  take  my  last  thousand  thalers  and  buy 
one  of  those  farms  out  there  and  set  up  as  a  farmer. 
But  things  turned  out  differently." 

Later  on,  diplomatic  reports  were  again  discussed, 
and  the  Chief,  who  seems  in  general  to  have  a  poor 
opinion  of  them  said  :  "  For  the  most  part,  they  are  just 
paper  smeared  with  ink.  The  worst  of  it  is  that  they  are 
so  lengthy.  In  Bernstorff's  case,  for  instance,  when  he 
sends  a  ream  of  paper  filled  with  stale  newspaper 
extracts — why,  one  gets  accustomed  to  it !  But  when 
some  one  else  writes  at  interminable  length,  and  as  a 
rule  there  is  nothing  in  it,  one  becomes  exasperated. 
As  for  using  them  some  day  as  material  for  history, 
nothing  of  any  value  will  be  found  in  them.  I  believe 
the  archives  are  open  to  the  public  at  the  end  of  thirty 
years — but  it  might  be  done  much  sooner.  Even  the 
despatches  which  do  contain  information  are  scarcely 
intelligible  to  those  who  do  not  know  the  people  and 
their  relations  to  each  other.  In  thirty  years  time  who 
will  know  what  sort  of  a  man  the  writer  himself  was, 
how  he  looked  at  things,  and  how  his  individuality 
affected  the  manner  in  which  he  presented  them  ?  And 
who  has  really  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  people 
mentioned  in  his  reports  ?  One  must  know  what 
Gortschakoff,  or  Gladstone,  or  Granville  had  in  his  own 
mind  when  making  the  statements  reported  in  the 
despatch.  It  is  easier  to  find  out  something  from  the 
newspapers,  of  which  indeed  governments  also  make  use, 


56o  THE  RUSSIAN  COURT  [Feb.  23,  1871 

and  in  wliicli  they  frequently  say  much  more  clearly 
what  they  want.  But  that  also  requires  a  knowledge  of 
the  circumstances.  The  most  important  points,  however, 
are  always  dealt  with  in  private  letters  and  confidential 
communications,  also  verbal  ones,  and  these  are  not 
included  in  the  archives. 

"  The  Emperor  of  Russia,  for  instance,  is  on  the  whole 
very  friendly  to  us — from  tradition,  for  family  reasons, 
and  so  on — and  also  the  Grand  Duchesse  Helene,  who 
influences  him  and  watches  him  on  our  behalf.  The 
Empress,  on  the  other  hand,  is  not  our  friend.  But  that 
is  only  to  be  ascertained  through  confidential  channels 
and  not  officially." 

Thursday,  Februo.ry  23rd. — We  retain  Metz,  but 
not  Belfort,  It  has  been  practically  decided  that  a 
portion  of  our  army  shall  enter  Paris. 

And  I  write  the  following  intimation  for  the 
Moniteur : — 

"  The  arrogance  with  which  the  Parisian  press  in- 
sults and  abuses  the  victorious  German  arm)^  that  stands 
outside  the  gates  of  the  capital  has  been  frequently  stig- 
matised by  us  as  it  deserves.  We  have  likewise  pointed 
out  that  the  occupation  of  Paris  by  our  troops  would  be 
the  most  effectual  means  of  putting  an  end  to  this  sort 
of  insolence.  At  the  present  moment  these  lies  and 
calumnies  and  provocations  know  no  bounds.  For  in- 
stance, the  Figaro  of  the  21st  of  February,  in  a  feuille- 
ton  entitled  '  Les  Prussiens  en  France,'  and  signed 
Alfred  d'Aunay,  charges  German  officers  and  the 
Germans  in  general  with  the  most  disgraceful  conduct 
such  as  theft  and  pillage.  We  learn  that  these  pro- 
ceedings, which  we  forbear  to  characterise,  have  entirely 
frustrated  the  eff'orts  made  by  the  Parisian  negotiators 
to  prevent  the  German  army  entering  into  Paris.  We 
are  positively  assured  that  the  entry  of  the  German 


Feb.  25,  187 1]  STUPID  BRUTALITY  561 

forces  into  the  French  capital  will  take  place  immedi- 
ately after  the  expiration  of  the  armistice." 

Friday,  February  2ith. — Thiers  and  Favre  were  here 
from  1  to  5 "30  p.m.     After  they  left,  the  Due  de  Mouchy 
and  the  Comte  de  Gobineau  were  announced.     The  object 
of  their  visit  was  to  complain  of  the  oppressive  action  of 
the  German  Prefect  at  Beauvais,  who  is  apparently  rather 
harsh,  or  at  least  not  very  conciliatory  or  indulgent.  The 
Chief  came  to  dinner  in  plain  clothes  for  the  first  time  dur- 
ing the  war.  Is  this  a  sign  that  peace  has  been  concluded  ? 
He  again  complained  that  when  he  went  to  see  the 
King,  the  Grand  Dukes,  "  with  their  feminine  curiosity, 
pestered  him  with    questions."     With    regard   to   the 
deputation  from  Beauvais,  Hatzfeldt  said  that  Mouchy 
and  Gobineau  were  both  sensible  men  and  Conserva- 
tives,   and    that   our   Prefect,   Schwarzkoppen,  bullied 
them  and  the  other  notables  of  the  town  and  neighbour- 
hood in  an  unpardonable  way.     Amongst  other  things, 
two  days  before  the  expiration  of  the  term  on  which  a 
contribution  of  two  millions  was  to  be  paid,  they  brought 
him  a  million  and  a  half  and  said  that  the  balance  would 
follow  shortly,  whereupon  he  told  them  brutally  that  he 
was  there  for  the  purpose  of  ruining  them  and  meant 
to  do  so,  and  he  threatened  to  have  them  locked  up  in 
order  to  "  coerce "  them,   which  was  not  in  the  least 
necessary.      The   Chief    was   very   angry    and    called 
Schwarzkoppen  a  "blockhead." 

Saturday,  February  25th.  —  Unpleasant  news  has 
again  been  received  from  Bavaria.  Werther  (who,  it 
is  true,  is  described  by  Bucher  as  unreliable  and  a 
visionary)  writes  that  Count  Holnstein  regards  the 
condition  of  King  Lewis  with  very  great  anxiety. 
Prince  Adalbert,  who  combines  "  the  Wittelsbach 
haughtiness  with  Jesuitry,"  is  inciting  him  against  us. 
He  asserts  that  he  signed  the  treaties  under  pressure. 

VOL.  I  0    0 


S62  PRINCELY  OBTRUSIVENESS        [March  i,  187 1 

Before  every  Court  dinner  and  even  before  every  audi- 
ence he  drinks  large  quantities  of  the  strongest  wines, 
and  then  says  the  most  extraordinary  things  to  every 
one  without  distinction  of  persons.  He  wants  to  abdi- 
cate and  leave  the  crown  to  his  brother  Otto,  who, 
however,  has  no  wish  for  it,  and  he  is  always  inquiring 
about  deadly  poisons,  &c.  The  Ultramontanes  are 
aware  of  all  this,  and  their  candidate  for  the  Reichstag, 
Prince  Luitpold,  is  also  their  candidate  for  the  throne, 
and  they  mean  to  get  him  chosen  in  spite  of  Prince 
Otto's  claims. 

Wednesday,  March  1st. — In  the  morning  I  crossed 
the  bridge  of  boats  at  Suresnes  to  the  Bois  de  Boulogne 
where,  from  the  half-ruined  stand  on  the  racecourse,  I 
saw  the  Emperor  review  the  troops  before  they  marched 
into  Paris. 

We  were  joined  at  dinner  by  Mittnacht,  and  the 
Wurtemberg  Minister,  von  Wachter,  who  was  formerly 
attached  to  the  Embassy  in  Paris,  and  while  there  did 
his  utmost  against  Prussia.  The  Chief  said  he  had 
ridden  in  to  Paris,  and  was  recognised  by  the  populace, 
but  there  was  no  demonstration  against  him.  He  rode 
up  to  one  man  who  looked  particularly  vicious,  and 
asked  him  for  a  light,  which  he  willingly  gave. 

The  Chancellor  afterwards  took  occasion  once  more 
to  speak  his  mind  out  on  the  obtrusiveness  of  certain 
princely  personages.  "  They  are  like  flies,"  he  said, 
"  there  is  no  getting  rid  of  them.  But  Weimar  is  the 
worst  of  the  lot.  He  said  to  me  to-day,  '  Please  tell  me 
where  did  you  disappear  to  so  quickly  yesterday  ?  I 
should  have  been  glad  to  put  some  further  questions  to 
you.'  I  replied,  '  That  was  exactly  it,  your  Royal 
Highness.  I  had  business  to  do,  and  could  not  enter 
into  a  lengthy  conversation.'  He  fancies  that  the  whole 
world   has   been   created  merely  for  his  sake,   for  his 


March  5,  1871]       THE  LANDLADY'S  CLAIMS  563 

amusement,  the  improvement  of  his  education,  and  the 
satisfaction  of  his  curiosity,  which  is  insatiable,  and  he 
has  absolutely  no  tact."  Somebody  observed  that  as  a 
rule  when  he  talks  he  does  not  think  of  what  he  says, 
but  rather  repeats  phrases  that  he  has  learnt  by  rote. 
Mittnacht  told  another  story  about  this  august  person- 
age. "  Some  one  was  introduced  to  him  :  '  Ah,  very 
pleased  indeed,  I  have  heard  so  much  to  your  credit. 
Let  me  see,  what  was  it  I  heard  % ' " 

Thursday,  March  2nd. — Favre  arrived  this  morning 
at  7.30  A.M.,  and  wished  to  be  shown  in  to  the  Chief. 
Wollmann  declined  to  wake  him,  however,  at  which  the 
Parisian  Excellency  was  very  indignant.  Favre  wanted 
to  inform  the  Chancellor  of  the  news  he  had  received 
during  the  night  that  the  National  Assembly  at 
Bordeaux  had  ratified  the  preliminaries  of  peace,  and 
thereupon  to  ask  that  Paris  and  the  forts  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  Seine  should  be  evacuated.  This  request  was 
submitted  in  a  letter  which  he  left  behind  him. 

Sunday,  March  5th. — We  leave  to-morrow,  first 
going  to  Lagny  and  thence  to  Metz.  The  Chief  is 
present  at  dinner.  The  conversation  first  turned  upon 
our  landlady,  Madame  Jesse,  who  put  in  an  appearance 
either  to-day  or  yesterday  and  made  a  variety  of  com- 
plaints to  the  Minister  as  to  the  damage  we  are  supposed 
to  have  done  to  her  property.  He  replied  that  was  the 
way  in  war,  particularly  when  people  deserted  their 
homes.  Besides  she  had  reasons  to  be  thankful  that  she 
had  got  ofi"  so  easily.  The  little  table  on  which  the 
Treaty  of  Peace  was  signed  is  to  be  taken  with  us  to 
Germany.  Taglioni,  who  is  to  remain  behind  a  few  days 
with  the  King,  is  instructed  to  have  it  replaced  by  an 
exactly  similar  piece  of  furniture.  In  speaking  of  the 
preparations  for  our  departure  the  Chief  says  :  "  Ktihnel 
thinks  we  ought  not  to  travel  by  night,  as  Lorraine  will 


564  THE  JOURNEY  HOME  [March  6,  187 1 

be  haunted,  and  they  might  lay  something  on  the  rails." 
I  replied,  "  Then  I  will  travel  incognito  as  the  Duke  of 
Coburg.  Nobody  owes  him  a  grudge.  He  is  regarded 
as  perfectly  innocent — and  with  justice.  " 

Monday,  March  6th. — A  lovely  morning.  Thrushes 
and  finches  warble  the  signal  for  our  departure.  At 
1  o'clock  the  carriages  get  under  way,  and  with  light 
hearts  we  drive  ofi"  towards  the  gate  that  we  entered  five 
months  ago,  and  passed  Villa  Coublay,  Villeneuve  Saint 
Georges,  Charenton,  and  La  Fasanerie  to  Lagny,  where 
we  take  up  our  quarters  for  the  night. 

We  leave  here  next  day  by  a  special  train  for  Metz, 
where  we  arrive  late  at  night.  We  put  up  at  an  hotel, 
while  the  Chief  stays  with  Count  Henckel  at  the 
Prefecture.  Next  morning  we  stroll  through  the  town, 
visit  the  cathedral,  and  survey  the  neighbourhood  from 
the  bastions  of  the  fortress.  Shortly  before  1 1  o'clock 
we  are  again  in  the  train,  and  travel  by  Saarbriicken  and 
Kreuznach  to  Mayence,  and  thence  to  Frankfurt. 

The  Chief  has  an  enthusiastic  reception  everywhere 
along  the  line  and  particularly  at  Saarbriicken  and 
Mayence.  Frankfurt  is  the  only  exception.  We  arrive 
there  at  a  late  hour,  and  start  again  in  the  night.  At 
7.30  on  the  following  morning  we  reach  Berlin,  after 
exactly  seven  months'  absence.  All  things  considered, 
everything  has  been  done  during  those  seven  months 
which  it  was  possible  to  do. 


END    OF   VOL.    I. 


RICHARD    CLAY   AND  SONS,    LIMITED,    LONDON   AND   BUNOAY. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


Ifi^Wp^L 


^fm 


DEC  8  2 


J0m-7;68  ( J1895si)---C-120 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


AA    000  860  180    9 


L  005  794  632  9 


t 


PLEAS£  DO   NOT    REMOVE 
THIS   BOOK  CARDS 


^ 


^ILlBRARYQ/r 


« 


^ 


< 


50 


University  Research  Library 


I 

III 


H! 


4.t--j-^..    -Ja.    ^^n~  — uwfci 


J. 


'iil    I! 


■miiiiij 


I 


•I'liili 


,;  1,1 

lllil! 


